The Chance For Redemption
by Lovely-Viper-Venom
Summary: Loz is returned by the Lifestream,with Mother's words echoing in his head,"Live your own Life". His enemy takes him in and takes care of him,providing him with what he needs. Without his brothers,and at a lost with Mother's wishes,Loz needs some guidance.
1. The Angel of 7th Heaven

Yeah well, I had this old, old fanfic for these two...and I recently started getting back into it, and RPing it with a friend. XD And now, the interest has ignited. So I rewrote what I had, changed some stuff, and have a huge whopping of a first chapter for everyone. Don't know if anyone will like it but whatever. I enjoy crack pairings from time to time if done tastefully. XD So enjoy! Please give me some feedback so I can continue this story. x.x and won't lose interest. God FORBID I abandon yet another story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Loz (though I wish I did), Tifa or any characters. Or Final Fantasy VII, its movie Advent Children or anything corresponding to the game/movie/characters. Thank You!

* * *

Chapter 1 : The Angel of 7th Heaven

The skies were dreary over the thriving city of Edge. Twice, calamity had struck the unfortunate city and both times the citizens persevered. Those wounded would heal, decimated buildings were rebuilt, and the people then carried on as they always did. The people of Edge were a resilient sort, who didn't let anything dash their hopes and beliefs. One of Edge's best examples was Tifa Lockhart, who never lost her faith in Cloud and always kept up her hopes that better days would come. It was taking some time for things to return to some form of normality, and a few setbacks had occurred. This didn't deter the stubborn, young woman however, and she continued to live her life happily in her bar and take care of Marlene and Denzel.

The bar was empty usually during noon. In a slow time like this, Tifa would be cleaning glasses, bringing up bottles from the cellar and spend time with the children. It gave her joy that after the defeat of those silver haired men and Sephiroth, that things in Edge were finally seeming to calm down. Though, Cloud was becoming distant again. He would disappear for a week or two, but he did always call or check in personally. It was better than nothing Tifa had concluded. She wanted to smother him and let him know she deeply cared, but she als o knew this might drive him away. She always had let him know she cared, but gave him his space when he needed it. What else could she do? Even when Cloud took off for a week or more, Denzel was happier to see that Cloud at least did come back to spend time with them...and with the eradication of Geostigma, things seemed much...much less stressful and forebearing.

"Denzel! Where did Marlene go?" Tifa called to Denzel upstairs. The young boy came running down the stairs, a smile on his face. "I think she went out to play with the kids down the street. It's ok! We go there all the time!" Denzel assured a worried Tifa. The glass Tifa was cleaning was set down as she nodded with a smile, trusting Denzel's reply. Marlene too, she noticed, was happier. The happy family she wished to have given them from the start. This was how things should have been a long time ago. Tifa let Denzel behind the bar to a small fridge for a juice. Once Denzel selected a box of cold apple juice, he stood beside Tifa and looked up to her with questioning eyes. There was a burning, itching question he wanted answered and only she would know...most of the time.

"When's Cloud coming back?" Denzel asked, no longer able to control himself. Tifa paused as she was reaching for a mug to dry off and turned to Denzel. The last she had talked to Cloud was three days ago. He was traveling across the desert surrounding the city to make a delivery. He did say he'd be back in a few days, but she didn't know if that meant two or seven. With him, it was always a guessing game. Tifa mustered the best smile she had to offer to Denzel.

"He said a couple of days. I'm sure he'll stay a few days when he comes back and show you his sword again, " she promised. There was no disappointment on the boy's face cause he knew Cloud would be coming back this time. Cloud had been making his visits frequently so when Tifa told him a couple of days, the young child's eyes lit up and he blindly believed her. It would be a reason for excitement to build up for the next few days.

* * *

Everything hurt. From head down to the toes, almost every individual nerve ending was picking up on the body's injuries and damage. Why did he hurt so much? Loz couldn't figure out where he was...was he in the Lifestream? Was being in the Lifestream suppose to hurt this much, to where it was unbearable? The remnant tried to force his finger to lift but that only intensified the pain, and sent stronger surges of agony through his body. Completely immobile...the poor man's mind raced through his last thoughts and memories. There had been a large explosion...he remembered intense heat, the pain as it ripped through his body in a hurricane force. Still, he and Yazoo had the strength enough to get up and avenge their brother, Kadaj. who they saw die in Cloud's arms...if his little brother was going to be taken, then Cloud would be too along with himself and Yazoo. Once he felt himself dissipate, and carried up to the Lifestream, did he finally feel...better. Floating in the Lifestream, void of pain, distress and thought, came a beautiful, angelic voice..._Loz...this is not your time yet...but don't take you second chance lightly...Mother is fine. Rest and relax. Be yourself and live your own life, _the dreamy voice told him. The silver haired remnant listened peacefully, lulled by the sweet voice. Was it Mother's voice? She sounded so kind and gentle.

"Mn..." Loz groaned softly, his green, mako eyes slowly opening. Voices echoed inside Loz's head, and could have sworn he heard a scream or two. The surroundings were unusual. Grey concrete and soft, muddy, black dirt surrounded him in the hole he laid in. above him was a slate grey sky with soft swirls of white. Drops of rain fell upon his face as the sky rumbled with thunder. Loz willed himself against all the pain to sit up. This single motion robbed him of the little strength he possessed. He balanced his elbows on his knees and hung his head down, feeling nauseated and lightheaded. He paid no attention to the panicking civilians around him. As he glanced around, he noticed he was the only one of his brothers here. Where was Yazoo and Kadaj? Why was he the only one Mother granted a chance at life again? It wasn't fair. His brothers should have earned the same privilege, or he should have stayed dead just as they were. Loz lifted his head carefully and trained his eyes on an establishment not far from the edge of the ruined street. The sign above the building's door swayed gently, 7th Heaven carved into it. _What an odd name for a place...

* * *

_

The ground had quaked and the mugs rattled as both Denzel and Tifa heard a loud crash outside the homely bar. Tifa's demeanor grew more serious as she pulled out her leather gloves and tugged them onto her slender hands. Intuition and personal experience told her this incident would bring catastrophic trouble. The screams that pierced the air only confirmed her worries. Marlene was still out there too...

"Denzel! Get upstairs and stay there!" she ordered. The boy ran upstairs without delay and locked himself into his room. Tifa gathered her courage and approached the bar's closed front door and rested her hand on the handle. She paused. Eyes drew down in concern as she felt her body stop, hesitant to open the door...as if doing so was going to change her life as she knew it. A deep breath calmed her nerves as Tifa opened the door. It could not be so bad. As she opened the door, she was met with a fine cloud of dust hanging in the air. People were scrambling to get away from the crater in the middle of the normally busy street. A figure slowly rose from the hole, stumbling to steady itself. As the dust began to settle, Tifa stared in horror at the man. The leather clad, silver haired man had locked sinister green eyes on her, a truly wicked grin gracing his lips.

"YOU," she growled, crouching down into a defense position, presenting her fists. The man was obviously in pain, but he was intent on engaging in a fight. The metal device on his arm opened, its prongs generating a line of crackling electricity. Loz hadn't expected to see this girl ever again. He truly was in no condition to fight her, but she had been real fun to play with before. It looked as if she wanted a rematch anyway to make up for her loss to him.

"Ready to play again?" he taunted. Part of him told him this was really unwise given his poor condition. Loz felt unsure on his feet, still trying to recover from his fall. He started walking towards her, dirt and broken concrete crunching under his boots. Each step caused Tifa's heart to quicken pace, adrenaline beginning to pump through her veins. Then something unexpected happened. Loz's face cringed and his shaky legs gave out under him. The man collapsed on the sidewalk at Tifa's feet, his breathing heavy and erratic. His fist pounded into the smooth concrete, trying to force himself up. It was becoming clear he did have the strength to fight her. Even his vision was beginning to blur, beginning to think it felt better just to lie there where he was. This was beyond humiliating for the man.

" Not even one fist was raised, and it appears I already won," Tifa stated. She knelt down by him, tilting her head sideways. "Hurt, aren't you?" she asked. Loz wanted to give her a good jolt with his weapon but it felt so heavy strapped on his arm and he couldn't find the strength to even lift it. He only glared at her a moment, finding it insulting she asked if he was hurt...yet, feeling exhaustion overtaking him, he gave in and closed his eyes, falling into unconsciousness. The pitiful performance won some sympathy from Tifa. She began to rationalize what would happen if she left him alone while he was vulnerable. If the Shinra Company ever found out one of the silver haired men returned to them after a month of the incident, they would want retribution...they would take him in, experiment on him, torture him and try and extract uses from him. He'd be just like Jenova was...floating in some test tube in fluids, lifeless. If he was left alone to the surroundings citizens, they'd surely want to put him back in the Lifestream, after what he and his brothers did to their children. The man was the most hated guy in Edge. Tifa eyed the surrounding people acting like a pack of hungry wolves, eying Loz with hatred and fury. Given the few options this man had to him, she sighed and resigned to a decision she really did not want to make.

* * *

The ground was hard. The lights were dim. Something was covering him that was soft and keeping him warm. As Loz turned his head against his pillow, he noticed table and chair legs. To the far wall was a dimly lit staircase, and the large room where he was lying on the floor, was filled with chairs and tables. Then he noticed legs that did not appear to be wooden. They were slim, smooth and soft looking. Green eyes drifted up to the woman reading a magazine. Brown eyes drifted over the pages sleepily, nodding off for a moment or two. Mako eyes watched her a moment, taking in the situation. This woman had been his enemy. They had fought in that church and perhaps, had some of the best fun there with her. For how badly he hurt her, he would have expected her to kill him. She'd been helpless as he knelt over her, and she had pain and fury in her chocolate eyes. Now with the roles reversed, instead of finishing him off she was saving him. Why would she want to help him? He never would have helped her. Pain dully ached throughout his body, throbbing in every muscle. He groaned softly as he moved wrongly, and the pain's intensity rocketed. The sound woke Tifa from her reverie and she got off the chair, kneeling at his side. She placed a hand on his broad shoulder and stared at him.

" ...Hey, don't move suddenly like that. You're only going to hurt yourself more," she warned. Loz turned a sharp gaze to her, wondering when this woman decided to be his guardian. He never needed someone to care for him before. Loz pushed himself up carefully into a sitting position, sighing when he completed the small task. There was silence between the two, and Tifa beginning to have doubts about her decision. She found it ironic that he should be dropped off in front of her bar titled 7th Heaven. The fact this one been sent back could have only been Aerith's doing. Aerith knew something about this man to have sent him back to the people. A dangerous man like this one should have been kept away from them all...what was Aerith playing at?

" You think you can walk a little distance? Just to get you into a bed?" she asked. It was hard, forcing herself to be polite and kind to a man who had beaten her down and was about to kill her if Marlene hadn't intervened. Silver brows furrowed as he stared at the floor's hardwood and seemed to be concentrating on the cracks in it. He was determined not to look at her. He muttered a soft reply to her and started to force himself to stand up. A lot of pain that seemed to have only been dormant, woke and set his body aflame in agony. Knees buckled and he almost fell back to the ground if Tifa hadn't dodged under his arm and helped steady him. Now he looked at her, but only briefly before looking away.

"I don't understand. Why didn't you kill me off? I would have if I'd been you," he admitted. Tifa didn't have an answer yet. Maybe it was because she believed Aerith sent him back...or her big heart to be compassionate and help those in need. It also could have been that she believed Aerith sent him to her because no one else would accept this person. Cloud and her friends would kill him, Shinra would experiment on him and then kill him, the citizens would kill him...she was probably the only one with such a good heart that would take him in and not cause him harm if she could help it.

"I believe you were given a second chance at life...the Lifestream sent you back here. There must be something about you that it decided to give you a second chance...who am I to interfere with that, and kill you after only a few minutes of being alive again?" she concluded to him. Confusion crossed the man's young features and he decided to stay silent. Tifa put an arm around his waist and guided him up the stairs at a sluggish pace, not wanting him to lose his strength halfway and they both go tumbling down the steps. Night still dominated the sky at this time and normally the bar would be open. Tifa had closed it since she took Loz in, and informed the surrounding town folk that everything would be fine as she dragged his heavy body into the bar. She'd been up ever since and the clock in the hallway already read three-thirty in the morning. As they came to a closed door, Tifa reached out and opened it with her free hand and helped Loz in. The room was filled with just enough moonlight for him to make out objects. A table against the wall under the window, a bed, a nightstand with a glass lamp, and a chair. a large, looming chest was on the left side of the wall, a bit harder to make out since it was not in the direct moonlight. Tifa guided Loz to the bed and he collapsed onto it with a groan of pain. Tifa turned the small knob on the lamp and with two clicks, a soft, peach light filled the room. Tifa tugged down the covers of the bed for him as he watched, hands finding their way to his boots and unzipping them. He just wanted to get these clothes off and lie in a clean, soft bed. This woman who probably hated him was being so nice to him, and he was completely dumbfounded. As he meditated upon his past actions, he tried to think of what to say to her. He felt he owed her for taking him in like this and providing for him. He threw the leather jacket onto the boots that lay on the floor. They were dirty, scuffed and in need of a good cleaning. Loz felt he should discard the pants on the pile too, but as his fingers went to the button, Tifa's hand stopped him.

"Don't...worry about that," she said gently. "Just one moment...don't move," she instructed and she disappeared from the room. Loz stared at the doorway, blinking and wondering what she was up to. In moments, she returned with fabric in her hands. She unfolded it to reveal softer, baggy looking pants...but they were clean. "You take those off, and put these on," she instructed. With a nod, Loz was stripping off the leather ones, not caring much if Tifa saw anything. He was not used to the idea of modesty. Tifa blushed and threw the pants on the bed for him, turning around and allowing him privacy. It was obvious he wasn't taught what manners and decency was...she gave him a few minutes to dress and peeked around to see him clad in the looser fitting pants. They were Cloud's, and they came a bit short at the ankles, but otherwise it was a good fit. Loz then looked at her and wondered what would be done about his leather outfit. He had noticed she taken his weapons away...and if he was ever allowed time, he might hunt around to find them. As he laid in the bed and pulled the covers around him, Tifa knelt to pick up the outfit. Loz looked down at her and opened his mouth to say something, but all that came out was was a short, "ah" sound. Tifa glanced up at him, seeing his features wrinkled in confusion.

" Yes?" she asked him, trying to get him to say what he wanted. "The...fight. At the church. I...just wanted to play...and...I...then my brothers called...and told me to take the kid...and..." he rambled. There was something he wanted to say and he didn't know how to say it. Tifa stood there with the leather clothes in hand, tilting her head as he talked. She had an idea what he was trying to say.

"Just a sorry is ok. That's what you say when you feel bad about something, " she told him. He nodded and the same look stayed on his face.

"Hn...And what about when you feel you owe someone for being nice?" Tifa smiled at him, the first smile she ever had for him since dragging him inside her bar.

"When you feel you should say something to someone for being nice, you say thank you," she said. Loz digested this slowly then looked to her with his mako orbs. The features of his face went back to the normal, smoothed skin as he spoke now.

"Well...I'm sorry...and thank you for being nice to me," he finished. Tifa nodded and kept her smile at him, which was warm and kind.

"I'm Tifa," she said suddenly when Loz looked away. The remnant's head turned back around to face her as he decided that they should exchange names. If she was to be taking care of him, she should know what to call him.

"I'm Loz," he said simply. It's true he didn't know how he got that name, but when he did come into existence the first time with his brothers, it seemed they all knew their names. That's what Kadaj and Yazoo called him. Tifa walked to the doorway with his clothes and boots, and paused to turn around to face him.

"Good night, Loz," she said and closed the door for him. The privacy allowed Loz to sigh deeply and close his eyes to be left alone to his own thoughts. Maybe he shouldn't be treating her like an enemy. She had many opportunities to kill him and she didn't. Instead, she dragged him into her place and let him sleep on some blankets and pillows. She helped him upstairs to a bed and gave him a new change of clothing...which he was learning he liked the feeling of cotton. Even her gentle smile set him at ease. Still, the memory of their fight warned him to not misjudge her, because she could still pack a punch when she was cornered. Loz laid carefully on his back, preferring this softer, comfy bed to the hardwood floor downstairs. Tired eyes slid shut as he slipped off into the realm of dreams and nightmares.

* * *

The leather was not hard to clean, nor did it require a washer and dryer to be cleaned. Tifa was in the back of the bar where the large fridge and makeshift kitchen was. the large sink basin was filled with hot water and a small amount of detergent with the leather outfit soaking in it. She swirled it around in the water a bit and let it soak. The boots sat on the counter atop a few dishtowels. Bits of dirt and rock littered the towels as Tifa took some hot water and smudge of normal dish soap to it. A scrub brush was worked over the leather boots, cleaning away the debris and filth. By time she was done washing them down with a wet rag to clean away the suds, and dried, then shined they were glossy and appeared brand new. The boots were set down and she wondered why she was working so hard to help this one out. The leather jacket was taken out and hung up, a dry towel taken to it to wipe it down and dry it. As she went on tending to the clothing, she got herself lost in thought. Loz was not sent here by accident, she concluded that. Staying with her was the best alternative to all his other options. That was already apparent. Maybe Aerith knew all along that she would take him in and try with him. She was just finished hanging the pants up and drying them when she heard something break upstairs. All doubts and shard of trust in Loz was erased. Tifa's mind went into defense as she ran upstairs to Loz, a sick feeling heavy in her stomach. Would he harm the children? Was it all just a ploy? Was Aerith even responsible for him coming back or some other unknown force?

As she rushed to Denzel's room, she saw the door was closed. The door creaked open and both Marlene and Denzel was sitting up in their beds, rubbing their eyes. They looked to Tifa innocently, wondering what was happening. Assured they were safe, a relieved sigh escaped her lips as she smiled to them and closed their door so they could sleep...but now it seemed it was only Loz who was cause to be concerned for. She went to the room she had Loz in and cracked the door open slightly and peeped in. The room was dark, and moonlight glittered off the broken pieces of glass. The lamp had been smashed on the floor, and the nightstand pushed away from the bed's side. No movement came from the lump under the covers and she assessed he had a nightmare and struck out at whatever enemy was in those dreams. She closed the door to let him sleep and returned downstairs to tend to the clothes.

* * *

Loz woke, feeling groggy. Sunlight poured into his room and he looked for a clock. It appeared in the middle of the night he broke the lamp and clock that had been on the nightstand, the remains scattered upon the floor. Eyes rested on the table and chair at the window. His clothes were hung on the chair and his boots on the floor. The light shone off them and they were as black as obsidian. He walked to them and ran his fingers over the fabric, feeling the clean leather once again. He grimaced though. Part of him said it didn't want to put these nice, cleaned clothes back on when he didn't feel clean either. Landing in the street and laying in a hole of dirt and concrete covered him in filth. After sleeping too, and developing the body's natural oils on his skin he felt rather disgusted. He needed a shower. Loz ventured into the hallway and down the stairs, in search of his caretaker. Where was...what was her name...Tifa. That was it. He saw the woman's body sitting at a table, hunched over and her head lying on her arms. His approach was hesitant, not sure if she was sleeping or would be startled with him walking up to her while she was off guard. He stood there and waited for a few minutes, getting impatient. She wasn't moving. He grabbed her shoulder and shook her gently. "Hey you...wake up...hey,wake up!" he said loudly.

It had brought Tifa out of her slumber as she jerked awake, the dream still fresh in memory. It had been pleasant enough. Cloud was in her dreams, and Barrett, and the children...and even Loz. Then the last person was Aerith. The woman was standing there, her gentle lips moving but Tifa could not hear anything she was saying. She moved closer to hear the other, and yet it was as if someone muted her ears. A pleasant smile graced Aerith's lips and Tifa felt a heavy hand on her shoulder, pulling her back. She didn't bother to turn around to see who was leading her away from Aerith, but someone was. The dream began to blur, and everything was melting away into darkness. Loz's voice...the smell of wood cleaner. A hand on her shoulder shaking her gently. Tifa's head snapped up suddenly, her brown eyes blinking away the sleep and looking to Loz. He was standing there in those pants she lent him, looking at her. Her hands rubbed her face as she sighed and faced him again.

"I'm awake...so...what do you want to eat?" she asked. Loz stared at her a moment and then looked away. He didn't know what to eat...he and his brothers, he remembered they ate some things...but...they hardly did. It was more of a luxury they could eat rather than a necessity.

"Anything you decide...would be ok...actually. Could I shower?" he asked hopefully. Yes, he was feeling a little too filthy for his own standards and he wanted to be cleansed and refreshed. The woman nodded to him and stood, leading him back up the stairs. It seemed Loz was behaving himself. Without his brothers influencing him, he didn't seem all too bad. The one that talked a lot and fought Cloud, Kadaj if she remembered, he seemed to have the most persuasive sway over the other two. Loz may have been built stronger than Kadaj had been, but his mind...was much different. Almost like a child's. They came to a door and she opened it for him, showing him to a large bathroom with a shower in a bath, a toilet and large sink. Loz walked in and looked around, staring at the shower knobs and reaching for them. He turned it on after tinkering with it and figuring out how it worked. After adjusting it to the right temperature, he turned to Tifa and smiled. While he had been figuring out the shower, she had gotten a towel and wash rag for him. Tifa set it on the sink for him.

"...Um...What was that word...yeah. Thank you," he said. This seemed to be the right thing to say because she smiled and then said something he wasn't familiar with.

"You're welcome," she said in response. Welcome. He knew that meant someone was free to another's hospitality. It made him conclude that if he ever decided to do something nice to someone, he would have to say they are welcome as well. Loz began tugging the pants off and kicked them aside, in which case Tifa blushed and turned around. He found this so peculiar. Loz stood there without a stitch on and asked her curiously, unaware that being naked in front of a stranger was indecent.

"Why do you turn around like that? I could attack you, you know," he said, feeling hurt that Tifa couldn't act normal like she was a second ago. It was a cause for some minor frustration, thinking maybe she was still mad at him for their fighting in the church and him abducting the girl who Tifa was fond of.

"Well. I don't know how you and your brothers were raised...or taught but...undressing and being naked in front of someone you don't know well, well...it's...indecent," she finished with an unsure voice, her back still to him. Why was she still standing there explaining this to him?

" ...Because I'm filthy?" Loz asked, with genuine innocence. Tifa stifled a laugh. Apparently, she had a lot to teach him. Loz didn't seem to grasp the mannerisms that humans had.

" No...because...well. Our customs, throughout the world, is a man should not see a woman naked that he is not...involved with. And a woman should not see a man naked either," she explained. Hopefully he could understand this. There was some silence and she turned to leave the room, not turning to see Loz. Loz pondered why their customs were so strange. What was so weird about being naked? He looked himself over and didn't think he looked wrong. He did smell some and was filthy. Which he was going to fix quite soon.

"Ok...so...I will not undress in front of you again. Um...what's the word...with the S...Sorry, Tifa," he finished. She nodded and closed the door for him. Loz then looked to the falling water in the shower and already felt somewhat better. Everything was still sore, but it was a far cry from the pain he first met when he woke in the broken street. Loz stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain around, not wanting water to get on the floors. He stood there under the hot water and let the dirt, bits of rock and concrete, and oils wash away from his flesh, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling. Thoughts occurred in his head and he opened his eyes slowly, wondering if he was alive, maybe his brothers were. Perhaps...he should search for them. If Tifa was so nice to him after nearly killing her, maybe she could be nice to them too and help them out. Mother wanted me to live my own life. _How do I do that? What do I need to do? I want to find my brothers...and Cloud. This woman, Tifa, she's his friend. What would he say about her being nice to me? Mother, guide me, please..._


	2. The Fears of Change

Woot another chapter! I got another chapter to write for another story to do, but I am going to adhere to this one best I can. I can't find many TifaLoz stories out there...kind of disappointing. x.x But here is another chapter! Hope you all enjoy and thanks for the reviews! Until next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 2 : The Fears of Change

It had been a long afternoon so far. Tifa was in the kitchen putting a large pot of water on the stove. The stove knob clicked and burst into beautiful flames under the heavy pot and slowly began its process of heating the water within. There were four mouths to feed for lunch and she chose a rather simplistic item to cook that could be done in bulk and stored away. All she needed to begin that process was for the water to come to a hard boil. A smaller sauce pan was taken from a cupboard and set on the counter next to an unopened jar of red mariana sauce. A soft tune she hummed filled the air as she grabbed a frying pan and placed a loaf of bread in it for the moment, crossing over to the fridge to take out the margarine and in the spice rack, some garlic powder. Tifa knew Denzel and Marlene would be racing down here soon and complaining they were hungry. Hopefully she could have just about forty more minutes before they decided to that, in which time the lunch would be finished. Loz apparently was still showering. The sound of the water draining down the pipes was a hint that he still was in there and washing. A sense of nervousness began to wash over her now as she thought about her once-was enemy. In the moment she decided she would drag Loz into her bar and take care of him, she only thought of the horrid things others would do to him and the utterly despicable things Rufus would do to the man. She did not stop to think what kind of danger she might have put the children in, or what Cloud would think the moment he steps into the bar and sees one of the silver haired men living here. If the gang saw she was housing a criminal like Loz, they would surely persecute her as well. What Tifa would have to do is convince Loz to be civil, and try and appeal to her friends that he deserves a second chance. Apparently the Lifestream and all the souls there decided he should. Who were they to revoke the Lifestream's decision? Denzel and Marlene spoke to her about why she was keeping that guy here, and she explained that higher powers than themselves granted that man a clean slate to start with. The two of them acted unsure about what she did but they promised to be supportive and help Tifa take care of their guest. It seemed that once she got to that bridge, she'll decide how to cross it. For now, she had to worry about lunch, and laundry...

A soft knock disturbed Loz. Instinct told him it was Tifa and frantic eyes searched for clothes to put on. The discarded pants Tifa lent him were on the floor and damp from the steam in the room. Taking the towel, he wrapped it around his waist and tucked it in quickly. "Are you decent, Loz?" came her gentle voice. Looking at the towel around his waist, he figured this was about as decent as he could be without putting on dirty sweatpants over his freshly cleaned body. "Uh...yeah," he answered. The door swung open and Tifa walked in with a small basket. An assortment of clothing lie in a colorful pool in the basket, and the tan sweatpants he'd worn for the night were thrown into the array of laundry. To his relief, she seemed perfectly fine. Seeing he didn't have any clothes to change into, the basket was set on the toilet and she walked out, not saying a word. Loz stood there dumbfounded for a few moments before she came right back to him, this time holding his leather outfit in her arms. A relieved sigh escaped Loz' s lips as he accepted the clothing from her. Remembering what Tifa said earlier about nakedness, he waited until she left with the laundry and shut the door after her.

* * *

Barret could not believe Tifa locked the bar. It was afternoon and it was normally closed around this time, but she hardly locked it up. A massive hand pulled out a small set of keys from the vest's pocket and he inserted it into the keyhole. With a little manipulation on the old lock and a final, smooth turn, the door unlocked and he pushed it open, pulling the key from the lock. He mumbled a bit as he came in, "Damn door was locked...why's she lockin' doors all a sudden..." and shoved the keys into the pocket they belonged to. Seeing no one upfront he decided to let his presence be announced, only having come here to see one important person in his life.

"YO MARLENE! DADDY'S HOME!" came his booming voice. In a few short moments, tiny feet were heard rushing down the steps. Marlene wore a bright smile on her face as she came bounding across the bar and into Barret's awaiting arms. He lifted her easily onto his shoulders in a swing and smiled as she hugged his head affectionately. Tifa walked downstairs to see what the commotion was all about and froze when she saw Barret. The tall, bulk of a man stared at her, not ignoring the temporary moment of rigidness Tifa's body seemed to overcome. The basket of laundry was under her arm and he noted the pair of sweatpants on top of the pile. Those were Cloud's...Barret was hesitant to jump into any questions about that, and swallowed down the suspicion building in him. If Cloud was indeed here, he'd be coming down the staircase with Tifa to greet him. Not long after Tifa appeared, Denzel made his way down and happily greeted the giant man, standing next to Tifa.

"Yo, Tif! How's it goin'?" he asked her, and she said everything was fine. Marlene was set down on her feet next to Denzel, the kids looking at one another with nervous glances. They knew the consequences if Barret was to find out about their particular guest. The four sat down at a table talking,

"So when's Spikey comin' back?" Barret asked. Knowing Cloud quite well, the man would be back and downstairs joining them. The man was absent however, and yet a pair of his pants lay used in the laundry basket.

"Hopefully soon," Tifa said, but her voice seemed worried and detached from truly wishing him back. There was something she was hiding. Barret leaned back in the chair, folded his thick arms and with a small smirk decided to spearhead his curiosity.

"Ok then. Who ya hidin?" he asked directly. Shock flared in Tifa's eyes as she grasped for an answer. Shaking her head and deciding to deny she was harboring anyone in her bar, there was no other option but to lie. Lying felt dirty by her standards, especially to such a good friend.

"No one," she replied. Barret's eyes rolled as he shook his head and held his hand out, indicating to the basket that sat on the floor forgotten.

"Then why's Spikey's pants lyin' in the basket when he ain't around? I doubt you wore 'em, considering they ain't gonna fit on you," he concluded. Barret was sharp when he wanted to be, and all he was wanting to do was watch out for his friends. Cloud was blind when it came to acknowledging Tifa's affections that she had always shown openly. Tifa was young, but she wouldn't wait forever and waste her youth and Barret knew this. A struggle appeared in Tifa's features as she searched for some excuse.

"Well," she began...but never got to finished. The stairs creaked and groaned under the weight of an approaching guest. The sound of leather stretching with the movement joined the small sounds that were made. As Barret turned around to see who was approaching, his eyes flew open in shock. Standing on the last step was one of those silver haired remnants that had nearly decimated this town a second time. The two men locked eyes, both wearing the look of determination one usually sports before they lock themselves into a fight. Tifa had been around this too long to not notice the signs and as the men began to take long strides towards one another, the woman flew in between them, hands on either chest and barring them from engaging in combat. Loz looked at Tifa's hand on his chest then turned his glare toward her, wanting her to get out of his way. Barret held the same sentiments.

"Tifa, what the...You...Why tha hell is this fucker here?" Barret exploded. Loz blinked, not knowing what the word 'fucker' meant, but something inside him welled with fury at being addressed as such. If the damned woman had not taken his weapons away, he'd flatten this bulky man into the floor. Tifa stood her ground though and kept her hands on either man's chest, barring them from fighting. Brown eyes fixed themselves on Barret.

"The Lifestream rejected him...it gave him back to us. There must be a reason behind that and if you kill him, we won't know why. Shinra cannot know of his existence. And neither can Cloud!" she stated. The look of utter disbelief plastered Barret's face, his lips moving to say something but no voice coming out. Tifa told him about this guy and she fought him in the church. He'd hurt her, and kidnapped HIS Marlene. Leaving her in this place wasn't safe as long as he was here. As for her telling him he could not tell Cloud...

"The hell I ain't! He's got to know!"

"No! He doesn't!" she argued and her word was final. So far the man hadn't disobeyed when she got between them and kept them from fighting. He only stood there stoically, those mako eyes glaring at him every once in a while. Tifa felt it might be fine to let her arms down but felt if she did, the two would jump at one another's throats. They both were bigger than her and she had a stroke of luck when both halted their advances when she got between them.

"...God damn it, Tifa!"

"Barret! He has not done anything to hurt me or the children! And anywhere else, they would kill him!"

"Damn right they would! With good reason!"

Loz watched the two arguing and was once again seeing the ferocity Tifa possessed. Loz backed away from Tifa's hand, resigned to not attack or strike out at the angry man. While he still kept his guard up, and a steady, hardened glare on the man named Barret, he kept quiet. Barret backed away too, and waved the kids off.

"Go upstairs, Denzel. Take Marlene with you...us grown ups got some talkin' to do, ya hear?" The young boy nodded and took Marlene's hand, rushing upstairs and leaving the three alone. Tifa stayed between the two, acting as a guard. It was a few minutes before Barret could regain control of himself and talk to Tifa. Why she was safeguarding this criminal was beyond him.

"Ok, Tifa...Say the Lifestream decided ta send 'im back to us...why?" he theorized. Barret's voice was calmer though there was still remnants of resentment behind it. Tifa had her beliefs who did it and didn't know if Loz should hear it. For all she knew Loz could believe it had been Mother who sent him back not her friend, their friend. She would need to talk to Barrett alone about Loz's presence. Tifa turned to Loz and she approached him, his eyes on her at all times. He looked down at her with questioning orbs and she gingerly placed hands on his chest.

"Loz...can you let us talk privately for a bit? Please?" she asked him nicely. The remnant didn't look like he was going to budge from the spot, staring at Tifa incredulously. Part of him wanted to know why he was alive too and didn't want to miss out on this discussion. Yet she was asking nicely and with respect...eyes turned to Barret, a sort of silent warning. Tifa was his only hope to adapting to this life and help him fulfill Mother's wishes. He stalked off and headed to the upper rooms, leaving the two alone. Tifa sighed and turned to Barret. Both stared at one another a moment, with Tifa crossing her arms and looking off to the side.

"Barret. I believe Aerith sent him back...I don't have proof, but...I feel it. Who else in the Lifestream would have been that gracious?" She questioned. The fact he hadn't done anything harmful either was a plus. Without the influence of his brothers and that hardwired drive to find Jenova, he was a lost sould with no direction. Aerith and her had their...confrontations concerning Cloud, but she didn't wholly hate the woman.

"I dunno...but C'mon. He's dangerous. He'll hurt you. I don't want him 'round Marlene!" he protested. Tifa only shook her head. Why was she so bent on protecting him?

"Tif! Why are ya so determined to keep this guy 'round, huh?"

"...Barret. I think Aerith trusted to send him to me, to take care of...he's been...civil. He just needs some guidance, good influences. Which his brothers were not! And if I didn't take him in, others would kill him and the Shinra Company...let's not even think of the things they would do," she finished. Barret could see he wasn't getting anywhere with her and once Tifa made a decision, she would never change it. The stubbornness in her eyes confirmed that the more he argued, the more breath he wasted trying to change her mind. It was true if he landed in Shinra's hands, they would do bad things. A heavy sigh drifted out of the man's mouth as he finally gave up. If this was what she firmly believed in, he couldn't change her mind once it was already made.

"Fine! But you watch yourself 'round that man, ya hear? I won't tell Cloud anythin' then" he said. Tifa gave a soft nod. Tifa figured Loz had gone to his room and dubbed it probably the safest place for him. Barret made his way upstairs to Marlene's room and walked in. The two children were sitting on the sunlit floor, playing with their toys. Tifa followed timidly behind them.

"Listen all, why don't we go out an' get us a bite to eat?" he suggested. The children leapt at the idea and threw arms around Barret's body in thanks. Eyes swam to Tifa but a raised hand was her answer. Marlene hadn't seen Barret in a week and it would be a day for her and him to have together. Surely a slew of new toys, all varieties of candy and a jubilant smile would accompany the trio on their return. Besides...her particular guest couldn't be left alone. The three walked out the door, with Tifa seeing them off. The man paused outside the doorway, watching the new construction that was rebuilding the gaping crater in the middle of the street. Barret cast a gaze to the sky, silently wondering why Aerith would cast that man down and right here of all places. Turning back to his good friend, a smirk was aimed her way before he walked off with the kids in tow, hopping and jumping in excitement. The door was closed and locked...it only was her and Loz now.

* * *

Loz laid on his bed with his hands behind his head and gazing out the window. No matter how much his voice silently cried out to Mother, she didn't answer. All he could remember was how sweet and gentle her voice was before he found himself in that crater. The voice washed over him like a cool mist, and he felt the tremble of the voice in his body as it spoke to him. Those kind words she had for him, the freedom she granted him to live his own life and go in the direction he chose, not what anyone else dispositoned himself to. Yet being free...scared him. Searching for Mother gave him purpose, reason to live...a reason to fight for his life and endlessly stumble through the hard task. Without any direction, any purpose given to him...what was he to do? The soft rapping on the door pulled Loz from his thoughts as he sat up on the bed. The dark haired woman appeared and offered him a kind smile. He sorely hoped she could explain about that man he was about to go after.

"Barret...he is Marlene's father," she explained first. Loz tilted his head, not quite understanding.

"So you and this man...had that child?" he asked, his question void of any emotion, and desiring only to understand. A smile spread on Tifa's lips and she shook her head. A strange comfortability had overcome the woman and she no longer felt edgy around this man. This showed as she walked across the room and made a second mental note to come back in here and clean up the mess Loz created in his sleep. Remnants of glass and wood still remained strewn across the carpet and hardwood floor. It crunched into fine dust under her shoes as she walked over it and came to sit on the edge of Loz's bed.

" Marlene is not my child. Neither is Denzel...at least, I am not their natural mother. I take care of them of my own choice. Marlene cannot always be with Barret, so he trusts me to take care of her while he works," she explained. Loz nodded, seeing what she meant now. This little bit of knowledge combined with what he knew of her now. First and foremost, she was a strong woman who could stand her own in combat and that he admired a lot. Maybe they could play later on...if she was up to it. Secondly, Tifa had a lot of compassion. Taking in children and caring for them as she did, as if they were her own, was kind. Taking him in though, a known enemy in the beginning and caring for him as well, he saw both as foolish and kind. with no regard for her own life, she worked hard to help others and aid them in any way possible. Would those children end up on the streets, homeless, like he and his brothers saw a long time ago? What of them? Where were their families? Would families really cast out their children like garbage for being infected?

"...So you took those two in...what about the other children me and my brothers saw?" he asked. A grimace came across her features and his visage sunk some. Why couldn't Tifa take them all in?

"They are fine, most returned homes to their families... Look, Loz...he only got angry because of what you and your brothers did...and to be honest, I am still a little bent about losing to you," she said with a stern face that broke into a smile again. A smile spread across his lips as he gazed at her, remembering their fight. It was one of supreme grace and beauty really, and he had truly loved the fun. "but he is going to believe me. He won't say anything to Cloud," she finished. The mention of Cloud brought a dark aura around him. It would be inevitable to fight him. After all the trouble he and his brothers caused these people, Cloud would surely want to make sure they stayed in the Lifestream and never came back. Seeing the distress in Loz's face, Tifa decided to broach the subject.

"What's wrong, Loz?" she asked. Thoughts had gone back to Mother, and her gift of freedom bestowed upon him. Tears began to form in his eyes and he did not want this woman seeing a man like him crying. He pinched the bridge of his nose and placed the fingers where the tears were welling to prevent them from being seen.

" Mother...I heard her voice before I woke up in that street. She...she told me I had to live my own life. That...I shouldn't worry about her now. B-but...I don't know what that means, Tifa. Ever since me and my brothers came to existence...it was just that drive to find her. Nothing else," he explained. It was the first time Loz had openly told someone of the things eating him up inside and shared his worries with another. Even his own worries were kept from his brothers, who condescended him for being such a crybaby. He wiped his eyes with his large forearm, lousily blaming the non-existing dust for getting in his eyes. The Mother Loz talked about sounded nothing like Jenova who was a destructive and bloodthirsty being. The voice he must have heard had to have been Aerith, since Tifa could not imagine Jenova soothing Loz with such words. The man she fought was reduced to a man with no purpose in front of her. No guidance, no purpose, no place to go, no reason to even be alive and she pitied him. Maybe this was why Aerith sent him here...for her to give him purpose. Mediocre as it was, what could she give him? _A job here? Being a bus boy? It would not be much and he would earn money for himself...I could teach him about having a job, about money and living his own way. _A gentle hand reached over and cupped his chin, a thumb smoothing over his cheek in a caressing way. Loz's eyes turned to her, relaxing at her touch.

"Well then...Mother gave you a second chance, and you should not be careless with that. I'll help you for as long as you want me to, Loz...I'll give you a job here being a bus boy. It's a simple job, and you earn money for it. And extra money called tips from customers. I'll let you live here if you do that for me. Maybe what Mother wants for you...is for you to have a chance experiencing what a normal life is, instead of one full of weapons, battles and endless searching. This is her gift to you," she finished. It made Loz think hard about what situation he was in and a large hand came up to cradle the slender one against his cheek. A little laughter broke out as he gazed back at her. This woman was too kind to him, and he didn't think he could ever repay her. " Uh...thanks," he said. His hand took her own off his cheek as he got up and stretched. He grimaced as he stepped in the pile of glass and wood under his boots and turned around to face her.

"So...what is it exactly I have to do to do this...job?" he asked. Tifa stood and suddenly remembered that by now the water should be boiling. Barret took the children out and hoped he wasn't getting them anything to eat. Not after she planned to cook spaghetti for them all.

"Follow me," she said and walked out. Loz did as she told him and followed her downstairs. The woman walked into the kitchen and there he saw water boiling in a large pot on a stove, and other food items set out to be prepared. Not far was a large basin sink, with one side half full of dirtied dishes. Intrigued by this, he walked to her as she began to run water over the dirty dishes and washing away the excess food caked on them.

"You will pick up dirty dishes from customers after they leave. You put them in a large tub, and you wipe the table down so its clean. Then you carry the tub of dirty dishes back here to be washed. That's about it," she explained. To Loz, this did not seem so hard to complete...and she said he would get paid for this. Money he knew about and to have his own would make him self-sufficient. A large rag hanging on the faucet was soaked with the running water and a thick, pink liquid squirted onto the rag. Suds began to rise up and Tifa took a dirty plate and rinsed it off. The sudsy rag was rubbed over the plate and in seconds the blue plate was clean enough to see his reflection. After the soaps were washed, she placed it in a rack sitting on the counter for it to dry.

"Not so hard, right?" she said. The water was turned off and the rag hung up. A soft, dry towel soaked up the water on her hands as she went to tend to that pot of boiling water. Loz watched transfixed, as he were a mere elementary student. Thin, yellow sticks were tipped out of a large box and broke up. Tifa threw them into the water and they sunk to the bottom. Loz watched as she poured some oil and salts into the water and began stirring the concoction. Peering over her shoulder, he saw the hard yellow sticks began to soften and expand in the hot water. What was this she was making? Sensing the interest he emanated, Tifa stated it simply.

"It's called spaghetti. They are a kind of noodle, and its food to eat," was the answer to his silent question. A soft "ah" escaped him as he went to the table to sit down. Part of him feared this new life he was beginning to live. What was Tifa to him? Certainly not a sister. He never had friends before...but she acted as a mother, or what he read about what mothers were. Caring and kind, sympathetic and helpful. Ever since he fell face first into the dirt at her feet, she had saw to him and made sure he got the rest he deserved and needed. A gloved finger traced the same scratch in the wooden table as he stared, getting lost in his thoughts. Where were his brothers?


	3. First Dinner As A Family

Sorry guys for the delay. I got this chapter done. It's a little shorter, but I am trying not to give out too much at one time. Sorry again for the delay. x.x I had a lot on my plate lately. And I got another story to catch up on. Not to mention a site, and so much more XD Thanks for the reviews, and please keep them coming. They brighten my days x.x

* * *

The food would take a half an hour as Tifa informed Loz. To spend the time, Loz ventured through the house and came upon a bookshelf crammed with books. The man stared at the books for a while, trying to remember the last time he ever read one. A single hand pulled one from the row and flipped it open, eyes scanning the text. It was dawning on him he knew he could read, he could talk and understand others. When did he ever learn to do these things? As far back as Loz could remember, he woke up in a ditch, tattered and beat up with his two brothers. None of them knew what happened either, only they all shared the burning desire to find their Mother and ran off. A picture in the book caught his attention and soon the deep thoughts Loz was having about his origins faded. It was a picture of a motorcycle identical to the ones he and his brothers had before. Part by part was broken down and named, and explained how they should all fit and work together. Loz sat in a chair by the window, where an inkling of sunlight decided to poke through the stormy clouds. If he could get all these parts...he could build his own! It even listed custom items to add to it that you didn't get when you bought the motorcycle from a maker. With Loz's focus on the book he was reading, he forgotten the time and was submerged in what he was reading.

The kids were playing in their rooms when Tifa called for them to come down and eat. Barret had dropped them off, and reminded Tifa he was going to get them food when he took them out...but the growing children they were, and not able to resist a plate of their favorite food, they wanted spaghetti. It was a relief all the food she cooked wouldn't go to waste this evening. Barret gave her a stern lecture about who she was harboring and she took his words to heart. It was not like she trusted the man she let stay here...more, was doing what she thought Aerith wanted her to do. It was making sense why the man was given to her to take care of and help adapt to their world. Aerith was always very compassionate...and it made Tifa wonder what was going on in her head that made her come to the decision. The rushing footsteps over the wooden stairs signaled their arrival as they hopped into their seats, hands full of drawings. Tifa always encouraged them to draw and write, and over dinner, she always looked at them and told them how good they were. Marlene loved to draw family pictures of them all, even including Vincent in some. She only wished the raven haired man visited more to see others thought fondly of him too.

"Where's Loz, you guys?" Tifa asked as they settled in.

"Upstairs, reading," Marlene said with a quiet voice. She was anxious for dinner, eyeing the pot containing the stringy spaghetti. Tifa threw the dish rag onto the counter and went upstairs to fetch him. The kids were hungry and so was she, so she needed their guest to come down and join them. Besides, according to how Loz acted about food, he didn't seem to really know what sorts of food there was. Who hadn't heard of spaghetti? She came into the office where she and Cloud ran the delivery business, to see Loz sitting at the table with a pile of books.

"Loz," she called to him. No answer. The man was possessed as his eyes scoured page after page, storing the information away. A minute of watching him, and she noticed how his eyes would not blink, how they surfed over the pages yet seemed to soak in everything it contained. Tifa walked across the room and rested a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it to get his attention. The man's body went rigid and he jerked his head up to see her standing over him, a faint smile there. Loz gave a weak smile back and closed the book he had in his hands, that contained a story of a valiant knight on a mission to save a princess.  
"Uh...sorry...I was reading some books...and..." Loz began, pushing the book aside. Now Tifa noticed the stack of about five books at his side. They were not mere picture books she had for the children, but novels, and volumes of various subjects. She folded her arms and gave him a questioning look.  
"You read all those books there?" she pointed to, and Loz gave a small nod. It surprised her to see this man could read such hefty books so quickly. She only known him briefly and her first impression was that of a child; wanting to play all the time and oblivious to items normal to everyday life such as food and common courtesy. Inside, a burden was lifted, knowing now that he could read easily, and quickly, she could just let him read books to learn what he needed to and only be there to show him what it meant.

"Well, dinner's done...why don't you come down?" she asked and instantly, a smile came to his face. He seemed eager to try what she cooked and see what it was like. Loz followed Tifa down the small stairway and saw the children sitting at the table. A small grimace came across his features and his steps hesitated. The children he remembered well when he and his brothers kidnapped them. Their uncertainty was clear to him and he didn't want to make a worse impression on them as he already had. If Mother wanted him to live a new, more peaceful life, and Tifa was willing to help, he didn't want to do anything to lose favor with her.  
He took a seat next to Marlene and stared at the glossy plate in front of him. Tifa approached them and placed forkfuls of soft, yellow noodles on the plates and put the pot back on the stove. Steam curled into the air from the noodles and Loz wondered if this was all to eat. As Tifa came back with a smaller pan this time, a red liquid with diced leaves and other unusual looking items was poured onto the noodles. The scent that rose from it was not unpleasant but made his stomach rumble. Grabbing a fork he poked at the mess in front of him and wondered what it would taste like. The pan was set on the stove next to the leftover noodles then Tifa brought a pitcher over to the table, filling empty glasses with a light blue colored liquid. Loz took the glass and sniffed the contents, deciding it had the scent of...something fruity. Possibly sugary too. He set it back down and looked as Tifa settled in across from him.

"Give it a bite, Loz. It's really good," Tifa encouraged. Loz used the fork and stabbed at the strings on his plate. Seeing the fork did not lift the noodles, he then spun it inside the spaghetti and got a ball of it stuck on the fork. Taking a large bite and chewing, his eyes popped at the taste in his mouth. The taste of tomatoes, wheat pasta, and spices was enlightening. Did everything else taste like this? After swallowing the chewed remains of the pasta, he grabbed the glass and stared at the liquid quisitively, wondering exactly what kind of taste this would be like. Takina gulp from it and setting the glass down onto the wooden table, his eyes went wide again at the sweet, overpowering delicous liquid. He had first thought it to be water, but water was more...bland to put it simply. This had a kick to it, sweet and very addicting.

"What...is this liquid called?" he asked her, eager to learn about it. He supposed if Yazoo was here, he would like the stuff too. Tifa was smiling that pretty smile of hers when she answered him.

"Berry Kool-aid," she informed him. Loz gave a single nod and went about eating, realizing now how hungry he was and shoveling the food down. The kids were eyeing him and giggling softly between themselves, never having the chance to see how Loz was when he was not being a bad guy. As the plate was cleaned off, the silver haired remnant now looked to the pot on the stove and wondered if it would be fine with Tifa to have more. One plate alone was not enough to sate his stomach that cried for more. Tifa got the hint when she saw how his sea-green make eyes would glance to the pots on the stove. A slender hand took his plate as she went back to the stove and got him second helpings. As she returned, he was sitting straight in his chair, waiting for the plate with anticipation. As she set it down he began to eat more of the tasty mess of noodles and mariana. Realizing that this was a nice thing for her to do, he stopped and swallowed the last mouthful.

"Thank you...Tifa," he said, remembering what Tifa said about saying sorry and thank you to people. Witnessing the new developing manners he was exhibiting, Tifa gave a gentle nod of her head and replied with a welcome. The four ate quietly until their stomachs were full and their thirst quenched. Empty plates were set in the deep sink to be washed later. Marlene had taken out her drawings and called for Tifa to see them.

"Look! I drew daddy, and you, and Denzel, and Cloud!" she exclaimed proudly. Tifa was sitting down and looking at the youngster's drawings and commending her skills. Loz didn't think they were great pieces of art, as he seen that before. Where, he couldn't remember but he remembered he had. For a child though and catching on to how Tifa praid little Marlene, he knew he should not say anything mean. The drawing of Barret being so huge and Cloud having unruly, yellow hair made Loz smile. Was this what it was like to be relaxed and enjoy life?

"It's beautiful, Marlene. I'm going to put it right on the fridge!" Tifa said and stood up with a bounce, going to the fridge. A magnet was placed at the top of the drawing and held it on there for everyone to see. The girl was estatic about it and Denzel went on to show Tifa his own drawings, more centering on Cloud and the buster sword. Tifa put those up too, making the kids swell with pride at their own artwork. Loz stayed silent as he watched the interaction between the three, curious about them. Was this how family was supposed to be?

As the children headed upstairs to their rooms, Tifa waved Loz over to her. She stood by the sink, leaning against the counter. As he approached she stood up right and grabbed a dish rag from the faucet. Taking a black plug, she pushed the object into the drain and stopped the sink. Turning a lever on the sink, hot water began to pour into the basin and Tifa squirted a thick, viscious blue liquid into the water. Soon, bubbles began to sud up, a white foam floating on the rising water.  
"The job I'm going to give you is going to require washing dishes, cleaning tables and taking out trash. That's about it," she told him. As the basin filled, she shut the water off. Steam rose from the sink where dirty dishes lay submerged. Loz watched without blinking, noting everything she was doing. A pair of thick, rubber gloves were tugged out of a box she had beside the sink.

"One pair a day," she said and flexed her fingers. "They help from scalding your hands with the water, and prevents them from getting wet."  
Tifa took a large sponge and soaked up the water. One side had a rough, coarse surface to it and as she took one plate in hand, she used that side to scour off any sticky remnants of food. It was scrapped off easily and soon the plate looked as it had before; glossy, shiny and impeccably white. Once the dish was finished, the faucet was pushed over the empty side of the sink. Tifa turned the water on again and rinsed off the plate.

"First, you let them soak a bit. Then scrub them down. Once it is free of food debris, you rinse it off on the other side of the soap and loose food pieces," Tifa said. The finished plate then was placed in a wooden rack to dry off. The water dripped down to a metal bottom that let the water drain into the empty side of the sink so as to not flood the counter. "And that's where they are put to dry," Tifa finished. The gloves were tugged off and handed to him. Loz felt panic as he tried to remember everything that Tifa just did. Warily, Loz pulled the gloves on and moved his fingers, getting used to the stiff feeling the gloves had. Mimicking what had been done, he grabbed a plate from the water and the sponge Tifa used. Soaking it with the hot, soapy water first, he then began to scrub the pan. Concentrated eyes stayed on the object in hand, washing off the leftover pieces of food. The plate was turned over and inspected to make sure it was clean before Loz set the sponge down and turned the water on. Warm water washed the suds off and the dish was now sparkling clean. It was set in the slots of the drying rack next to the dish Tifa cleaned.

"Good job...not that hard, right?" She encouraged. A sense of accomplishment overcame him as he nodded. Yeah. It wasn't as bad as he first thought. In fact, it was easy. The raven haired woman walked out to the bar area with him in tow, curious where she was going.

"Here, you will pick up dirty dishes with a tub. Only after the person has left though. After they are put in the tub, you will wash down the tables. Then the dirty dishes are taken to the back and get washed,"She explained. It seemed very simple to do. Pick up the dishes, wipe down some tables, and wash the dishes. She also said she would pay him. Money could buy things he wanted or needed, and he also would get to stay here. A roof over his head and no worries having to find some place to stay at. Could it be too soon to consider himself lucky?

" Do I start tonight?" he asked her. Tifa gently shook her head. Tonight would not be good. There was still things that needed to get done. The man needed new clothing for one. Having him parading around in only one outfit was simply not right. Secondly, she wanted to introduce him to common etiquette. Loz would need some guidance before he was faced with the public woh hated him and his brothers.

"In fact...the bar will be closed tonight. I'll open it tomorrow. So tonight, we can all get some good sleep. Tomorrow, we'll take you out and find you some suitable clothes," she offered. Loz blinked a few times, taken back by this kindness. Never before had anyone showed him this kind of treatment. Even his brothers teased him about his emotions, and weren't so kind. It was now becoming a burning question that caused him anguish.

"Tifa...why are you so nice to me?" he asked angrily. The smile on her face disappeared, but her patience did not waver. A form of fury burned in his eyes as he stared at her, demanding an answer.

"I already told you...I believe that you were spared for a reason...I don't know that reason yet, but I am not going to interfere with a power stronger than me," she said gently. The answer didn't seem to help him understand. If anything, it frustrated him because it went against the grain of his own beliefs. A heavy sigh escaped the man's lips as he took a seat on a chair, balancing his elbows on his knees.

"...Do you remember your childhood?" Loz asked. It seemed like an easy question. Tifa of course remembered her childhood. Knowing Cloud, the city she lived in, and the adventures she took. Ever since a baby, she been as stubborn and dogheaded as she was today.  
"Of course," she answered.

"...I don't. All I remember is waking up in a ditch with my brothers...I don't know how we came to know how to speak, how to fight or how we came to believe in what we did," he confessed. A chair scratched against the floor as it was dragged to his side. The woman sat in it at his side, looking upon him with such soft, brown eyes. Was that sympathy she was showing him? A streak of shyness hit Loz as he looked away from her, focusing on the ruts in the floor.

"I told you...if I would have been in your position...I would have killed you. Doesn't that disturb you?" he asked. Saying such a thing should send a shiver of fear down anyone's spine but this one seemed more resilient tot his scare tactics. A silence ran through them for a few moments and he felt he may have succeeded until those musical vocals broke it.

"...I believe you may have tried. But I think you find me such a fun toy to play with, that you really don't want to break me. Right?" she said, the hint of her tone leaning towards joking. It brought a smile to Loz's lost face as he looked up at her, his eyes narrowing playfully. A half smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth as he nodded. It made Tifa smile to see him not thinking about his past, which according to him, was forgotten. No one was just born knowing speech, and such complicated fighting skills. Had he and his brothers been a product of experimenting on Sephiroth's genes? And if so...she could think of only one person who would do such a thing.

"C'mon. I need to get those dishes done, and the kids to bed. We should get some good sleep. I want to wake up early and go out to get you some appropriate clothing," Tifa said. Both of them stood from the table and headed into the kitchen. As Tifa washed the dishes, Loz rinsed them and put them in the drying rack, it becoming more of a reflex now. What was this strange comfortability overcoming him?

* * *

The children were each given a hug and kiss to their forehead when Tifa put them to bed. Loz watched from the doorway, witnessing the loving, caring side of his one-time opponent. Thick covers were tucked in around them and their smiling faces drifting away into sleep. It was an intimate moment to behold; despite Tifa not being their true mother, one could probably mistaken her for it. Mother. Was this how real mothers were supposed to act? Tender, caring and loving of their own? Did real mothers send their children out on suicide missions, or to destroy and kill others? A conflict of beliefs raged on inside Loz as he tried to grasp the idea. Was all he ever known a lie?  
Tifa walked with Loz to his room. The man seemed strangely quiet now. Curt glances to him suggested he was seriously thinking upon something. The door swung open slowly as he turned the knob, stepping into the darkness of his room. Tifa watched as he entered and followed in, beginning to have pangs of worry for him. This whole day had given her a major foothold into helping fulfill what she thought was Aerith's wishes...and she didn't want all she worked for unraveling with him breaking down.

"Loz. Are you going to be ok tonight?" she asked, remembering the mess he made when he had a nightmare last night (which she had finally cleaned up). The remnant stopped with his back to her, pausing for a moment before turning to her and giving her a smirk, and nodding. It wasn't enough to convince Tifa but she thought it better to let him to his own devices. The back of her mind still reminded her what kind of power he possessed. That fight they shared was a testament of how they measured up to one another. The fair skinned woman left him alone in the room, shutting the door behind her. Alone. Finally alone. Loz dropped onto the bed and sat there, fingers running through his hair. Never did he think he would luck out and have someone like her take him in. It made him feel an emotion he was not quite accustomed to, thanks to Kadaj's prevention. It was shame. To think he listened to blindly to his brothers...but in turn, didn't they blindly follow a feeling they all had instilled in them? Following the belief so passionately, that they hurt innocent people. Children, women, men...all who had nothing to do with what their goal was. Was it possible to be feeling all this in one day?

"This is...absurd. Isn't it?" he asked himself, as he shedded off his clothing. The boots were stood neatly at the desk, with the leather pants and shirt laid over the chair's back. Loz crawled under the covers wearing not a stitch and sighed as he settled into the comfort of the bed. The darkness of the room enclosed upon Loz, making him feel more alone than usual. It was only the notice of the moonlight breaking through the clouds outside that soothed the man. Seeing its silvery light cast upon the ground and the furniture of the room reminded him that maybe even in one's darkest hour...there would always be a source of light.

Chapter 3

  
First Dinner As a Family 


	4. Of Fears and Memories

Ok all I have a dilemma. Now, I like to make this story go as canon as possible. I have come up with a good idea how the remnants came to be, versus On The Way To A Smile, and how they were created solely from Sephiroth. It has to do with Hojo, and some experimentations done on Sephiroth's genes...but it's up to you. Just give me a vote in the reviews and let me know a general direction you want me to go. And thanks for all the reviews! They really keep me going on the story, since the search results for this couple are all outdated for the most part. x.x Thank you all!

* * *

Chapter 4

Of Fears and Memories

The morning was just as dreary as the previous day. A grey blanket stretched across the sky, blocking most of the sunlight. A soft roll of thunder occurred ever so often and rain sprinkled down. With it being a Monday, it was the start of the school week for the kids. An old bus rumbled to a stop in front in the bar, 7th Heaven. Denzel and Marlene were standing there and boarded the bus, waving to a waiting Tifa. She waved back to them as they sat in their seats to go to school. The bus lurched forward as it came out of park, and loudly rolled down the street, spewing out a cloud of exhaust. Once the bus turned the corner, Tifa went back inside and locked up. Now she was left alone with that man upstairs...

The door swung open slowly as Tifa peeked in. Seeing the clothing laid neatly over the back of the chair, she deduced he probably had not a stitch on. Yet...she needed him to wake up so they could go out and get him some more clothing. Loz could not just go around wearing the same outfit day in, day out. Soft knuckles rapped against the door and all she got in response was a twitch in his face. Again she knocked against the beaten wood of the door, this time louder. Shut eyes squinted and a soft moan escaped his lips. It would appear he was coming to finally.

"Loz," she called out, hoping he would hear. She stayed in the doorway and waited for him to answer. Groggy eyes finally opened and blinked to the new day around him. As they looked upon Tifa, they widened a bit. Remembering the embarrassing event yesterday, he clung the sheets to his body.

"Um...I'm-I'm not dressed," he said to her. It was odd because now she was not making any funny faces at him, the reddish color that changed her cheeks before was absent.

"Keep the covers on then...get showered and dressed though. I want you to eat, and then we are going to get you some new clothes," she said. Before Loz could say anything, the door shut and he was left alone. He sighed and sank back into the bed, feeling comfy again and close to falling asleep. As his eyes fluttered, he shot up and reminded himself he couldn't sleep now. The weary body of Loz dragged itself out of bed and half-consciously pulled the pants on. Tifa told him to shower...so now he had to grab the rest of his clothes and go shower.

The water felt good on his skin. It cleansed him and took his mind off the confusion he was having. While Tifa was doing her best to make him feel welcome, he still had the feeling he was emotionally detached. The two children and Tifa were so close, like a regular family in any dimeback book. Yet he was a complete stranger to them and upset their routine. Loz was finding it hard to mesh into their lifestyle, harder to accept that she had seemed to forgiven him. It was strange to adapt to the idea of this woman stringing him along...and listening. This same woman who got her behind handed to her in their little game. Loz turned the water off and stepped out, using a towel to dry himself off and his hair. The silver hair framed his face as he stared at himself in the mirror. The stomach made a growling sound and he winced, feeling a twinge there. Drying off quickly and slicking back the hair, he got dressed and rushed down to the kitchen to eat. After the dinner he had last night, he wondered what kind of delicious food she made for him now.

Pork slices and bacon sizzled in the skillet. Eggs bubbled in another and toast was going to be last. She figure to introduce him to breakfast items and see what he liked. There was a variety of sausage in a third skillet on the eye and cooking, while she figured to try a small glass of apple juice, orange juice and milk. It would be a way to get to know his likes and dislikes when it came to food. The thundering footsteps grew louder. Loz appeared on the stair's landing and smirked at Tifa. The man's eyes shifted closed as he smelled the air around him.

"What...is that smell?" he asked curiously as he approached.

"Eggs, bacon, ham, sausage and toast. It's breakfast," she answered. Loz approached the stove and stared at the food cooking. His lip lifted in disgust, not sure what to make of the food.

"Will it...taste good?" he asked, not sure about what he saw in skillet. Tifa nodded and assured him it would be fine. Loz sat at the table and watched her, his leg twitching some. Energy was pumping through him. The way Loz's mind worked was he had to play, had to move and be doing things. Sitting inside and staying calm was not his forte. He wondered if Tifa would want to continue what they started in the church. It was the only way he knew her and would probably feel more comfortable in that setting. Having her be so nice to him and helping him, it was surreal. Like a dream. Eyes narrowed at her suddenly, as he rested his head on his arms. It was very ironic that the least person he expected to help him would be from this girl or "brother". Yet here he was sitting in her bar and having her cook food up for him. A soft bed, hot showers and promise of clothing had been given to him. Most people often held grudges and he wondered how she could not hold one on him after everything he and his brothers did to the children of the city, especially Marlene and Denzel. He had apologized for what he done, but he still felt a stinging, aching pain in his stomach and chest...that heavy feeling of shame.

"Here you go," Tifa said as she put a place in front of him with piles of food on it. Loz grabbed a fork and stared at the yellow color of eggs, the pink ham and brown toast. The array of food left him curious. Stabbing a curdled piece of egg, he lifted it to his lips and licked it. The salty, rubbery taste was new and his head recoiled curiously. Placing it in his mouth and chewing, he found he liked it. It was greasy, salty and somehow...so great. While he wanted to eat up the eggs right away, he was curious about the other portions on the plate. The slab of pink ham caught his eye and using the fork, cut a piece off. Trying the taste of it, it was greasy as well...but the meat was springy...salty and slightly sweet.

"It is...great!" he exclaimed, delighted in the breakfast. He bit off a piece of everything to see how he liked it and found nothing wrong. Tifa watched as he dug in and ate, having made a lot this morning because of his appetite. As Tifa leaned against the counter and watched, she physically saw the bulk of a grown man...but in a mental perspective, it was as if she taken in a third kid. A smile graced his features as he contently ate the provided food and cleaned the plate of any crumb. The smile disappeared for a moment as he stared at the plate before turning eyes to Tifa.

"More," he said, the smile returning. Tifa nodded and grabbed the plate from him, refilling it. She also fixed her own and joined him at the table. After the initial hunger pains had passed an he took to eating more slowly, he paused to watch how Tifa ate. There was a calm, certain grace she held when she demurely placed food in her mouth and chewed slowly, and without her opening her mouth. Loz paused for a moment, and then mimicked her like a child would...taking a piece of the eggs and chewing it slowly and keeping his mouth closed. Loz found his stomach was becoming full and he now poked at the remnants of food.

"You said...we're going to get me some clothes, right?" he said, a little curious about the idea. Leather had been the only thing he wore, and it would seem odd to wear clothing like Tifa's or the children's. As she finished the last bits of her breakfast, Tifa smiled and nodded to him. The whole day belonged to them until the children got back.

"We will find you some clothes fitting for you...I imagine...blacks and whites mostly. Maybe grays...and blues," she said. The idea of colors matching him didn't occur to him. Loz looked at his arms and over his own outfit, wondering what he would look like in different style clothing.

* * *

The store had such an array of different styles, colors and clothing that Loz stared at it dumbstruck. Mako eyes gazed over all kinds of material that made the clothing he saw. Tifa led him to the men's area and fingered through an assortment of dress shirts. Some were basic cotton, and some made of more richer material like silk and cashmere. There were pinstriped ones, plain ones and others with elaborate designs. Loz was busy pulling on some grey sweatpants, his small brows furrowed. Tifa grimaced and wished she could have done these things with Cloud. Shopping for clothes together and spending more time in one another's company. Picking out a few long sleeved black and white dress shirts, she tugged on Loz's sleeve with a faint smile.

"Face me," she requested. Loz did and she held the shirt up to his chest, nodding in approval. Loz was looking down at it, curious fingers grabbing on the sleeve of the shirt and feeling the material through his gloves.

"It's...nice," he said, mesmerized a bit. Tifa nodded and the two walked around the department, choosing different items and Tifa busy holding them up to Loz to see how it may look. The two collected such a mass of clothing that they had to retrieve a cart. It was filled with nothing but clothes, even some items Tifa picked out for herself. Loz was amazed at her kindness, and had the knowledge that people used "currency" to pay for these kind of things. Loz didn't know how cheap or expensive clothing was, but with the cart full, he had the gist that it would be costly.

"Um...can you afford that?" he asked. A surprised look crossed her before she gave a smile and shook her head.

"You shouldn't be worrying about it. Let's get this, and get back, ok?" she said, changing the subject. Loz shrugged and figured it was best not to argue with her. They passed by a leather section where Loz paused and walked away from her. The black leather was like the outfit he had on and being something he was familiar with, he could not resist. Tifa followed him and sorted through all the different styles. Vests, long sleeve shirts, pants and varieties of coats. Tifa let Loz pick out some shirts similar to what he had and pants. A few belts were chosen too with Tifa's aid. Once they got to the coat area, Tifa watched as Loz froze. A long, buckled trench coat was hanging up. Both stared at it, Loz's eyes full of fear and Tifa's with resentment. Both were thinking of the same thing...

"Come on, Loz...let's get going, ok?" she said softly to him, not wanting to see that trench coat anymore. Both walked away to check out, both eerily quiet after discovering the coat. The cashier eyed Loz with a seething hate but said nothing to them. The rumors had undoubtedly spread about the incident that occurred on her street. Tifa could only pray and hope against the realistic idea that someone from town may rat them out to Shinra. Tifa paid for the clothing and the two grabbed the handful of bags are walked home down the paved sidewalk. The skies were growing darker with the promise of heavy rain. As the two walked side by side, Loz whispered softly so no bypassers could hear...

"Do you think...what happened to Kadaj, will happen to me?" he asked, a hint of fear in his voice. The man was appearing to take a liking to this newfound freedom the Lifestream granted him and it was too early to take that gift back. The possibility he could turn into Sephiroth was likely, but...Tifa didn't want to think about it. Cloud told her what happened when Kadaj merged with the remains of Jenova, how in a flash Kadaj had morphed into Sephiroth. The conclusion they all drew was the remnants, any one of them, had the capability of doing this if they came in contact with pure Jenova cells. Sephiroth's will seemed to be so strong, that he could consciously control himself in the Lifestream. A sudden fear stiffened Tifa's back. Could Loz control himself if Sephiroth came beckoning for him to bring about his rebirthing?

"I do not think so," Tifa said with utmost confidence_. Because Aerith would not allow that at all...that much I do have faith in_, she thought to herself. A frown crossed him but he nodded and agreed with her. It seemed...he was truly free for once. No matter how he sat down and thought of the past it appeared there was none. Just waking to an urge to hunt Mother down. Why though? What was he at this point, if he and his brothers were truly only puppets? To think and do things of his own accord felt strangely odd as it always felt another entity was forcing his hand. Maybe she was right...maybe that was all past him.

* * *

The clothes were put on hangers and hung in the closet. Tifa eyed Loz a moment and remembered how the man read so quickly and picked things up easily once shown. The books he had been reading, his eyes had only surfed over the page. It was a wonder how he could achieve such knowledge so quickly. Some of those books took her a while to comprehend in a few hours.

"You know...once you read all the books you want here, we could go to a library...it had so many books on so many different things. And then maybe a bookstore," she offered. The prospect of this lightened Loz's mood as he perked up. Going to a library would mean he could look at an endless supply of books and learn so much more than just from her collection. Loz did want to learn. There was so much he wanted to know, now that he was recognizing he was free from control. While Mother was still a very touchy subject for him, it didn't have the same spell it had on him before. That passionate desire to find her and bring Sephiroth back. Kadaj often complained about this, feeling slighted that Mother wanted him over the three of them. It made Loz feel bad too, and sometimes he would cry about it too, realizing he may just be nothing but a puppet. Now...looking back at it, he didn't know what his exact thoughts about it were anymore.

"That sounds good," he said as a smile came to his lips.

"And maybe..." Tifa lingered on her words, and thoughts, wondering if this would be right to encourage, "we could spar again sometime."

The sheer idea of fighting her again gave Loz a sudden rush of exhilaration he could nor explain. Adrenaline began to pump and his heart raced. The very idea of going toe to toe again with her was the very epitome of fun for him. The woman had kept him on his toes before and provided a good round of fun. Those mako eyes narrowed dangerously, his grin turning wicked.

"I'd love that...you really were a lot of fun. I can hardly wait," he finished. As Tifa turned to see his grin and his eyes lingering on her like a hungry wolf, a shiver went down her spine. The aspect had excited him into a frenzy. Even Tifa felt her defenses kicking in just in case he felt that was an invitation to start their little battle now. Turning back to the closet, she hung up the last shirt and closed the doors. Tifa stood upright and held her arms behind her back.

"Well then. The clothes are put away, we had our breakfast, and there is some free time...How about later we go out with the children for ice cream?" she suggested. Loz's smile disapated as he tilted his head some. Ice cream? It sounded like he ought to be familiar with the idea of ice cream but he could not figure it out.

"It's a sweet treat the kids love. We'll go later...right now, I need to clean up some and show you what to do for sweeping and mopping," she said. Work was last thing on the man's mind. By mentioning she would spar with him sometime had riled him up, like a bone being held before a hungry dog. The two went down the stairs into the bar. Loz took notice more of the surroundings. Pictures hung on the wall, small, little knick knacks here and there...it had her personality. The boards creaked under them as she went into the kitchen and then produced two tools. One had a fan of dried brush to it, and the other, a floppy mess of cloth.  
"This one is a mop," she indicated, holding the one with the stringy mess at the end. " And this one is a broom." Loz watched as she filled hot water into a pail and put a cleaner in it. The mop was placed in to soak and in the meantime, she grabbed a dust pan and showed him how to use the broom. Loz clicked his tongue, finding this easy and took it from her, going about sweeping before they mopped. He didn't think he was that much of a ditz to not figure this out.

The two cleaned the floors and after Tifa finished with the mop, she poured it outside into the gutters. Loz stayed in the doorway, leaning there and watching. He caught furtive glares from the people passing by and felt fed up with it. Sea Green eyes glared right back, daring them to say anything to him. As Tifa finished, they headed inside and locked the door while they continued to clean up. He wondered if there were things she liked to do besides cleaning. It was so...boring. Loz put the cleaning supplies away and sat at the table where Tifa was. Staring at the woman, he wondered what she did do.

"What do you do for fun?" he whined. Part of him was so bored and felt too cooped up for his own good. Tifa saw the pleading look in his eyes. He wanted to do something, anything but clean and be inside the bar. They were sort of cooped up here, and the children would not return for quite a few hours. She did promise him a spar, but in the rain? They probably could go visit the library today instead of tomorrow. The problem was, she did not want to venture out often with him, lest Rufus catch wind of this. Cloud finding out would be one thing, Rufus Shinra finding out Loz is alive, would probably begin another violent chapter in her life.

"I...normally read, or just busy working on my bar...this place, it's my life. I built it, I nurtured it like one would their own child. 7th Heaven is my home," she said as simply as she could. It was dawning on Tifa she did not have much of a life anymore after AVALANCHE. Running the bar, and living with Cloud and the children were her life. Before, it was all about getting Shinra, hatching plans to destroy their property...running around with no care and doing something. _Huh...running around with no care and doing something..._

"Well...if we have nothing to do till those children come home. Let's go somewhere...I was thinking the Forgotten Capital," Loz suggested. The idea made Tifa snap her head up and shake it. No, she couldn't go there. That place held so many bad memories. Loz would not know about the past, but it was a sorrowful place to go to.

"No," she responded. Loz blinked a moment then thought that maybe it was not wise. Tifa probably would want to visit places she liked.

"Well...then you think of a place," he said and stood. The remnant went to her bar and looked at all the bottles of liquor. He didn't know what it tasted like and remembering the blue flavored liquid he had last night, he wondered if that was what this stuff was. Tifa remained in the kitchen pondering what to do while Loz decided to be a little sneaky. Grabbing a small, tiny glass, he opened a glass bottle filled with blue liquid. He poured some and put it up. Lifting it to his nose, he sniffed it and recoiled, his nose wrinkling. It did not smell sweet like the drink he had last night. It had a strong smell to it he could not quite place. Hoping it was the same, he drank it quickly. The surprise he got scared him. It felt like his mouth was on fire. It burnt as it went down his throat. The shot glass fell to the floor and shattered as he waved a hand at his exposed tongue. Hearing the clatter, Tifa came out to the bar and saw what Loz did. The glass was in pieces on the floor and he was frantically waving at his mouth. Well, at least she knew Loz didn't like the drink. One less thing to worry about.

"UGH! What is that stuff?" he asked after regaining some composure. A clean towel was being used to wipe his tongue off as he now glared at the liquor angrily. "I thought my mouth was on fire!"

"It's flavored vodka. It isn't going to hurt you, you're just not used to it," she said with a small chuckle. The man sat down and threw the towel on a shelf below the bar top. As Loz calmed down, she cleaned up the broken glass and discarded it into a trash can under the bar.

"Loz...why don't we go to the church? Remember the place?" she asked gently, and he sighed, giving a small nod. A smile inched into his lips when he thought about it, the first time he met her.


	5. The Rematch

Woot here we go! A fifth chapter and going strong. So far. I have some other stories to work on, plus my originals. Oiy, my originals are numerous and out of control XD I am trying to make sense of their chaos. But fanfiction...things are predetermined, and more easier to sync. Well, alas here we have the fifth chapter to this story! I am still undecided about the route I may take...I know many like or prefer a rather canonical approach, and some may favor a more imaginable approach from the author/authoress themselves. This will end up a pairing...just well...the mentality of both parties, it may take a while. And I got plans to bring our favorite Turks in, just don't know what point...but all is to come! Thanks for all the reviews, they help me to keep going strong on this story. Let me know how you all feel about it! Thank you!

* * *

Chapter 5  
The Rematch

The pond's surface shimmered with the little bit of light that managed to sift through the dense clouds. Rain drops that fell into the pool of water created such a soothing, gentle sound like wind chimes. The white and yellow flowers had begun to flourish, growing all around the pond and spreading to the destroyed pews. Nature was laying claim to the decimated and abandoned church. The floorboards creaked when its two visitors entered, disturbing the serenity of the place.  
Tifa and Loz had walked into the church quietly, both feeling they may be disturbing a sermon, though the place had been empty for a little over two years. Loz followed closely behind Tifa as she wandered further into the ruins. While she continued on, approaching the large bed of flowers, Loz stopped suddenly. The aroma of the flowers had reached him. Before, the scent of them had deeply bothered him. The scent still did but what didn't accompany the scent, was the uneasy feeling he had before. Like the little plants could actually cause him harm. The floral perfume made the man grimace as he started towards Tifa again, his steps slower than before.

"I still think they're gross," he said with a scrunched nose. He sat on a broken pew and watched as Tifa only gave a smile in acknowledgment and picked one. He watched as she lifted it to her face and took a deep breath of it. The smell didn't seem to bother her, in fact, she appeared to love it. Once she was done, she gently laid the flower onto the surface of the pool's water and watched it float. Chocolate eyes gazed over the whole church and a soft, heavy laughter followed.

"I remember every detail, you know," she said in a whisper. Loz gave her a funny look when she said that. It dawned on him what she was talking about as he too gazed at the pillars, the pews and the stained glass. Memories of them racing through these ruins and attacking with everything they had excited him. In their time alone, he wanted to play again with her. With the children off to school, and her job at her bar, Loz already deduced much time would not be spent alone with her. It was what he wanted. Time so they could play.

"I do too..." he said huskily, standing from the broken pew. The boots echoed across the church as he approached her and Tifa only watched. A grin had appeared on his face as he walked towards her slowly, those green eyes staring into her soul. The emotion overtaking Loz was akin to bloodlust, wanting to have another go at her. Tifa didn't know if they should...if Loz lost control of himself, who knew how hurt either of them would get. Tifa stepped aside and Loz circled her. The two began to circle one another like dogs, both wearing smiles. Tifa may have told him no in the beginning, but as she felt the hot blood racing through her veins, the electrical energy flowing through every nerve, how could she refuse now?

"Let's play, Tifa," he said. Perhaps it was the heat of the moment, the seconds before their fight was bound to start, Tifa could have sworn she detected a sultry note to his tone. Why did it send such a jolt down her spine to hear him talk in that manner? Black gloves was taken from her back pocket and pulled snugly on her hands. Flexing her fingers in the tight leather, she made her fists and kept her soft brown eyes on him. Deep down...she was itching for a rematch.

"Love to," she responded before she rushed at him. The remnant backed up a few steps and escaped her explosive blows with her palms. Ducking under a rather lethal one, he upper cutted her. The hard fist connected with her chin and sent her flying upwards. Loz's hand grabbed her ankle and brought her back down to him and aimed a hard punch into her abdomen. The punch's force sent her hurdling into the old floorboards and through them to the cold, dirt ground underneath. Tifa didn't come out of the hole and Loz grew curious. Just as he approached it to look in and see if she was still conscious, his head was hit with such a hard blow, it sent him flying backwards off his feet. The air had been knocked from his lungs as his back landed hard against the floor. Eyes widened as he saw the woman above him, with her leg raised. Loz rolled quickly and sprung back up just as Tifa's boot shattered through the floor. Loz punched her in the side of her face as she was getting her foot out of the hole. It sent her flying into the line of old pews and them shattering, splinters flying everywhere.  
Loz approached the pile of wooden rubble, where dust rose into the thick air. Eyes searched for her, this time prepared for any surprises. As he took one last step to the edge of the debris, pieces of the broken pew were thrown at him. Both arms shattered it apart before it created real damage to him and just as she flew out of the rubble at him with her fists ready, he caught both wrists. Boots squeaked against the grainy wood of the floor as he finally came to stop and had both Tifa's fists trapped. With tremendous force, her swung her around and slammed her into one of the stone pillars. Pieces of the stone cracked and fell to the floor as Tifa let out a distressed groan as she fell to the ground. Tifa moved suddenly and avoided the next punch Loz had to offer that crumpled the pillar and broke it in half. A loud rumbling resonated through the old, ruined church as the top half came crashing down. Both avoided the falling pillar and carried their fight to the other side.  
Tifa had decided she was not about to be defeated at his hands again. Tifa gained the offensive and had landed three palm strikes to Loz's face. The eyes swam in their sockets before she finished with a well placed roundhouse that had caught Loz's face. The man spun from the force and stumbled, regaining his footing as he glared at her coming at him. This time as she came in close contact, he grabbed her throat and began to run forward. Tifa's legs flailed as she clawed as his hand. The breath was robbed from her lungs as she was slammed into the flower bed. Petals and leaves went exploding into the air from the force. Tucking her leg in, she gave a rabbit kick into Loz's stomach and sent him flying off her. Tifa staggered to a stance and set her eyes on him. Whatever this was...this fight, it was electrifying. Something about their relationship in their fight brought them closer, more understanding of one another...even if it was just slamming one another around until their bones shattered.  
The grace she held and the brute strength he exhibited worked in perfect harmony in their battle. Both raced and leapt through the ruins exchanging blows and defying the fundamentals of gravity. While their first fight had been because they were truly enemies, this one was a hard hitting spar between like minds. Both wore smiles as they received bruises and cuts, both feeling alive. Their fight lasted a long time, with the result of many of the surviving pews being shattered to mere toothpicks, one more pillar being reduced to crumbled stone, and three of the stained glass windows destroyed. Tifa cried out as her back hit the floor again among all the beautiful flowers. Loz stumbled to her and fell to his knees and then flat on the flowers. Both of them were out of breath and exhausted. Loz had felt such energy he couldn't imagine and all from this fight. This woman could push him to limits he never reached before and he liked it. He turned his head to see Tifa gasping for air and putting a forearm to her head. Rain fell upon them as they lay there, washing away all the sweat and blood they were covered in.

"That was...so much fun," Loz exclaimed with a lighthearted laugh. Tifa turned and looked at him lyng next to her, worn out and smiling. Both could not continue on in the shape they were in. Seeing him lying in the flowers though, smiling and not seeming bothered by them made her wonder.

"The flowers...do they not bother you no more? Before you couldn't stand the smell," she commented. Loz's smile disappeared as he thought about that. It was true. Before the scent of them had been repulsive to his senses and he had to hold his nose. Now lying here in a bed of them, it didn't seem to bother his senses like before. Maybe being returned from the Lifestream gave him a form of immunity.

"Don't seem to...but I still don't like them," he said simply. Green eyes lazily closed as he rested his head on his arms. After running around like that and fighting, the adrenaline was wearing off and leaving him to feel pain and fatigue. It felt so good to simply be lying down and resting now. Tifa slowly pushed herself upright and looked to him. They stared at one another before Tifa gave a smile.

"We should head back...and rest," she said. To be in that soft, warm bed did sound better than lying in these flowers and dirt. It took a great summoning of strength to get himself to his feet and walk out with Tifa. A moment he paused to look back at the empty church and he smiled before following Tifa.

Both were so tired from their spar match that the most strength they had was to get upstairs and undress from their filthy clothes. The leather outfit Loz had was tossed to the floor and he crawled in the bed. The moment the light sheet was over his naked body and his head on the soft, welcoming pillow, he closed his eyes and from there, remembering nothing else.

* * *

The dreams that occurred were mere flashes of places he seen, people he seen. Faces flashed by so quickly, he could only manage to make out the features before they changed. Images of the Sleeping Forest, the Forgotten Capital and Edge moved on by too. While he was wandering the Sleeping Forest, he felt something lift him. There was no weight as he floated in mid-air, heading towards a bright light above him. Here he rested on his back in no pain, no feeling. A warmth washed over his body and it made him feel so relaxed. This feeling he knew. "Mother," he called out, his voice sad and searching. A gentle, kind laugh echoed across the vast plain of white.

"I'm here," a voice responded. It made a soft smile creep over his lips as he heard her again, like before. It was a strange comfort he got. To know she was listening to him, that she was not choosing Sephiroth like Kadaj always ranted about.

"Mother...my brothers. Why can't they come back?" he asked, sadness still tainting his tone. The two did tease him and pick on him the most, but he still loved his brothers. After all, they were blood. They worked well together. They watched out for one another.

"Loz. It's time you live your own life on your own...no one telling you what to do...are you...adapting well?" the sweet voice asked. Loz thought he was. The people hated him but Tifa...she was going out of her way to help him merge in with them all. Every length she taken was to familiarize him with their customs and knowledge. Loz was trying to adapt to Tifa's way of life, but not adhere to the public's way.

"I think so...A girl named Tifa. I had a fight with her before, but...she's being really nice to me. She's a nice person," he answered. There was silence for a moment before the voice came back, sounding even more kinder than before.

" She is a precious angel, isn't she? She really cares for everyone, and has a big heart," Mother had told him. Loz smiled at that and nodded sleepily. It was true, what Mother was telling him. Tifa was probably the best person to have taken him in. Fears of what Shinra may do if they managed to capture him or what the public would do if they all ganged up on him...and having no materia to summon the creepers...and Tifa hiding his weapons, he was defenseless against a mob of thousands.

"She is...she's kind," he said again and closed his eyes. Mother chuckled gently and things turned dark. the dream world was casting him out and soon he woke with pain in his body. eyes opened drearily to the sunsetting. This was beautiful. The clouds had finally all disappeared, and left the sky open and exposed for once. The red and orange hues in the sky were so dazzling that Loz sat up in his bed and stared until the golden orb had sank down over the horizon. Lozing interest he turned to himself and saw how dirty he was. Neither he or Tifa seemed to have any energy returning and she probably went right to bed too. Hopefully she was still sleeping. He wanted to shower and get all this dirt and blood off of him. The sheet was wrapped around his waist as he walked out of the room slowly, looking both ways to see if Tifa was around. Seeing her gone, he crossed over to the bathroom, preparing to shower. He had to, feeling as dirty as he had...all this was forgotten though the moment he opened the door...the sunset had been spectacular, but this...what he was seeing now, he could not process a single thought as his eyes bulged. This...could not be happening.

There stood Tifa, in all her naked glory. Large, supple breasts and slim body with her wet hair stuck to her back. Both of them stared at one another, Loz unable to move and Tifa stunned by being walked in on. Tifa gathered her senses first and grabbed a towel, shrieking and covering herself with it. This made Loz blink as he stood fully and a rose color surfaced on his cheeks. Somehow this felt so wrong and he turned away.

"I uh!..Um...sorry...I wasn't...supposed to walk in...knock first, right? I forgot...Sorry..." he stuttered as he tried to look anywhere else but at her. Tifa growled and told him to get out and he sulkily backed out and closed the door. He walked back to his room feeling ashamed. He'd managed to keep her from getting angry at him the past two days and now, she was furious. It was a simple mistake and his head foggy from just waking up. He sat on the bed with the sheet around his waist and felt tears welling up. He felt like a child who just got scolded for being caught doing something wrong. He sniffled some and took the end of the sheet, wiping the tears away. Damn it, why did he always have to cry when he felt sad or insecure? "Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry," he chanted, gritting his teeth and willing himself to calm down. It felt...unusual for him to get scolded at like he did. While his brothers teased him, they never had reprimanded him like Tifa just did. A few shaky breaths later, he regained control of his emotions and calmly wiped the tears from his face. Just when he was beginning to like being around her...he had to go and mess it up.  
A gentle knock on the door made Loz look up. It was probably Tifa and he felt so bad about walking in on her like that. He remembered what happened when she saw him in the same manner and gave him the little talk about what decency was. It wasn't his fault though, or so he felt. Waking up so drowsy and tired, he didn't comprehend someone else may be using that bathroom.

"Yeah?" he answered with hesitance. The door swung open and a half dressed Tifa walked in. A red blush had spread across her cheeks. The white shirt was tight on her, as was the black shorts. Loz looked back down, scowling at the floor at his own embarrassment.

"Said I was sorry," he muttered more to himself than her. Footsteps creaked across the room as she approached him and sat at his side on the bed. Tifa was waiting for him to look at her, but he didn't even move his head, staring at the floor with such intensity that could burn a hole through it.

" It's ok, Loz. Don't worry about it...a simple mistake, yes?" she assured him. The warmth of her hand on his back, rubbing the bare flesh made him shudder gently. It was a touch he was not accustomed to, a touch of kindness. Still it was not enough to make him look up from the floor and to Tifa's face. A silence passed by before the woman stood up and walked across the room.

"Go on and shower up. I'm going to make a quick dinner for us," she said before the door closed. Once Loz had heard the gentle click of the lock, he looked up and stared at the door for a long while before deciding to go and take that shower.

* * *

The shower of hot water felt good on his skin as it washed away the remnants of their fight. A generous amount of shampoo was being worked through his hair as he washed up. The one thing Loz found he liked about showers was it made one feel cleansed, healthy and pampered. here in this shower, he felt he could let his mind wander as his skin was being purified. Thoughts drifted to many different subjects. He would have to face his first night on the job Tifa gave him. That would be tonight! Damn, he would have to ask Tifa to show him everything again just to make sure he did everything right. The only other hurdle he faced was being able to ignore what the customers might say to him or behind his back. Eyes narrowed as he thought about it, knowing that no one here was welcoming of him. Only Tifa. Suds were cascading down his back as the water washed out the shampoo and left his hair cleansed. Loz took a deep breath, the steam from the hot water being drawn in before it was exhaled.  
Another thing that bothered him was tha dream. He hadn't given it much mind as he trodded out of bed for the shower, and got that unexpected surprise. Mother avoided the question about his brothers. When he had asked, she only said it was time for him to live his own life, and asked how he was adapting. From the sound it, Loz figured this meant his brothers would not be alive. They both had such an influence over him and it seemed Mother didn't want that no more. No brothers, no mother...he was as orphaned as those children had been.

"Loz."

Loz jerked his head up to the call of his name. The shower curtain was yanked back but no one was in the steamy room with him. In fact the voice was not even feminine...it was not Tifa. Who was calling him?

"Loz."

There it was again. He gritted his teeth and his eyes narrowed as he tried to determine the source of this voice. It sounded like the person was right here in front of him. The voice was so clear, deep, chilling...familiar. The hand slowly slid off the curtain as he stood straight in the shower, the water being ignored as it riveted down his face and back. The realization of who's voice hit him so hard, that his eyes widened and his hands shook. _No...not now...please, not now!_ Loz mentally begged. Just when he was getting the sense of feeling he belonged here...something had to remind him he was not like all the others...He was only a remnant of _him_.


	6. First Night of Work

And yet another chapter for Tifa and Loz! Took me a while to get around to writing this. Was sort of preoccupied with my Resident Evil story. But all stories are updated i want to update, and I need to rotate to my Trigun one. x.x With the extra few days off I should be able to knock out some chapters. Woot! And thanks for all the input and reviews guys. They are really a big help. And many thanks to King of Ithiria for your detailed insight. ^^ Thanks to all my readers and there will be more. I promise!

* * *

Chapter 6  
First Night of Work

Evening had turned to be nicer than the afternoon. The sun was finally poking through the clouds and shining gloriously onto the city. Poorly constructed buses, but operational buses nonetheless, were making trips around the city and dropping off kids at their homes where awaiting parents stood. One of those parents was Tifa. While she may not be a parent by blood, she was in every other sense of the word. A drying towel rested on her shoulder as the two kids bounded off the bus and into Tifa's arms. Both received a warm hug from the woman as she ushered them inside.

"Now go on and put your bags in your room. We're going to go get ice cream," Tifa told them. The promise of that creamy, sweet treat made their eyes light up with such excitement. Immediately they were laughing as they rushed up the stairs to put their belongings away and rush right back down. As they barged into their room, Tifa went upstairs to check on their guest.

The door was closed. A small lamp Tifa had placed in the room was on, and shining over lines of words at the table. The pile of books Loz had taken off the shelf was taken to his room and stacked neatly on his left. Three books rested on his right, indicating he finished reading them. Hungry eyes soaked in every word and stored it away. The first few books he had read involved motorcycle mechanics, history, materia and business ethics. The book he read now, it was nothing informative. It spun a story about a dark, strong demon falling in love with a human girl. The sufferings this girl had to go with this demon stalking her, luring her into his world. Eyes were drawn together as Loz tried to understand what this all meant. What was this attraction the demon was feeling for this woman?

"Gabrielle could not escape the feelings enrapturing her body as the demon placed his arms around her, and his lips tickled the back of her neck. It sent such chills down her spine and the energy pooled in her navel, causing an involuntary desire to build. Fingers ghosted over her exposed flesh, down her sides and drawing together over her stomach. As she felt the demon press himself against her from the back, it stole a gasp from her slender throat...I don't understand what he's doing...is this what they mean by loving someone?" Loz concluded. He wanted to stop reading, but a burning curiosity wanted him to continue. What would happen to this Gabrielle? Was this demon going to hurt her? As Loz began to read on, a knock at his door interrupted him. Looking at the book, and then the door, he muttered and put the book down so he wouldn't lose the place.

"Come in," he said. The door swung open and there she was, fully dressed this time, and wearing a smile. It was a change from the encounter earlier when he accidentally walked in on her.

"We're going for ice cream soon. We can have dinner when we get back, the kids are dying to have some now. Ah...those jeans look really good on you!" she complimented. Indeed, after showering, Loz had thrown on a pair of black jeans and he filled them pretty well. The black, long sleeved shirt was buttoned with cloudy white buttons and looked stunning on him. The kind remark earned her a smile as he stood from the table and piles of books. As Tifa glanced to the books, she realized that they were her own from the office.

"So..what are you reading now?" she questioned. Loz looked to the books then to her again as he began to explain. When she asked questions about each book, every answer he gave was spot on. It was baffling to Tifa that he read all those so quickly. They were thick volumes, and each had taken her a long time to completely read. Maybe he had a special aptitude for reading. As she lingered at the desk, she picked up the book that had been lying face down and glanced over the pages. A red hue rose in her cheeks as she realized what kind of book he had gotten his hands on. It was an old romance novel, part of a small collection Tifa had ranging from every kind of romance known. From mortal and supernatural, villain and herione, good guys and the pretty ladies, and even one that told the story of love between a common woman and a wealthy man. Loz grimaced as she looked at the book, and he explained his frustration with it.

"I don't understand what this demon guy is doing to the girl. I was wondering if that's what others mean when they say they love someone...cause both say they love what each other's doing ," he muttered. The cluelessness Loz expressed about the matters of sexuality made Tifa nervous. She hadn't had children of her own, and had not needed to give Marlene and Denzel the "sex talk" yet, that every parent dreads and can never find the right words for. How could she explain this to a grown man?

"Well...that is somewhat right," she surmised. "Come on...let's go get some ice cream," she said as she clapped her hands, hoping to distract him from the subject. She was not prepared to have to explain the finer details.

"Ok, but uh...can you teach me more about it later?" Tifa gave a reluctant nod, and hoped somewhere down the road, he would forget to ask about it and they would never have to come to that subject again.

* * *

The ice cream parlor was serving the last of the children who often visited it after school. Since the geostigma had been destroyed, the children had all been able to return to their families, and go back to living normal lives. After the incident with the brothers and geostigma, parents now spoiled their children a little more. The aspect of nearly losing their own kids had frightened them to the core, and made them realize despite their youth, it was not assured they had a whole, normal lifetime to live. As a group of chattering children left with cones piled with different colored scoops of ice cream, Tifa was entering the parlor with the two children and Loz in tow. As the smiling, old shop owner gazed upon the bunch that walked through, his face blanched. The day when those silver haired men showed up to destroy the monument in the square, his daughter had been standing amongst the circle of children they manipulated. Seeing the larger one's face now drew out so much rage that had been hidden in his heart.

"Hello Mr. Brunswick," Tifa greeted. The man gave a solemn nod as the four gazed at the many buckets of different flavors. Marlene was pointing at the vanilla one with small, multi-colored gumballs in it, while Denzel was looking at the one with chocolate and caramel. As they were making their choices, Loz was standing behind them with a lost look plastered on his face. Looking down to the two children in front of him, he took a breath and bent down by Marlene. He tapped her shoulder lightly and she turned to look up at him.

"Um...is...this what you call ice cream? What is it?" Marlene's sense of fear for the man turned to one of question as she tilted her head slightly and her silky, brown hair rippled.

"It'sa really sweet, yummy treat. And it has lots of sugar. You never had ice cream before?" she asked, and Loz shook his head slowly. The girl looked back to the display of many ice creams and decided he should get all kinds.

"Ok guys, come here and order what you want," Tifa called to them. As she pulled the wallet from her pocket, the older guy grumbled. Those old, grey eyes bore into Loz's with such intense hatred that it put Tifa on edge.

"I won't serve that man, girl," he said gruffly. A stern face met the old man as Tifa laid down enough money for their treats, a portion devoted to a hefty tip to hopefully convince the man otherwise. Silence fell between the man and woman, the money making the elder reconsider. Even in the age of reconstruction, when their lives were being rebuilt and some normality was coming to them all...money still was an easy way to bribe, as it had been since the birth of civilization.

"A sugar cone with the bubblegum balls, a sugar cone with chocolate and caramel, and a sugar cone with peach. Loz...what will you have?" Tifa said, looking to him. The man had been staring him down and Loz did not waver, glaring at him with the same intensity. Only the woman's voice distracted him as he faced her and looked back to the lit display. A grimace pulled at his lips as he contemplated. The pink with red fruit in it looked good and he pointed at it.

"And a sugar cone with strawbe-"

"Tifa! Why don't we get him a bowl with all kinds? He's never had it before!" Marlene chimed in. Tifa pondered the idea. Getting a huge mountain bowl wouldn't be so bad and they could all share it. A smile shone as she turned to the man and decided to order that instead.

"Well then. I guess instead of the cones...we will have the Ice Cream Mountain. Let's see...we can pick six flavors so...bubblegum balls, the chocolate and caramel, strawberry, peach, cherry cheesecake and...the mint chocolate, please," Tifa said. The old man grumbled as he prepared the bowl, piling scoops in there and adding the crushes sugar cones pieces and whip cream. In moments, the bowl was heavy with its sugary burden and given to the woman. Anyone who had been in the parlor had discreetly left after recognizing the silver haired man. Loz had taken notice but did not say anything, a heavy feeling developing in his chest. People were afraid of him and avoided him at all costs. Tifa seemed won over and at least for her, he was grateful. Someone believed in him.  
The bowl was set in the middle of the polished, white table and the children sat together. Loz sat beside Tifa and the four each took a spoon. The children were eying the mound of ice cream hungrily and began digging in. Tifa scooped an orange colored spoonful and ate it, smiling at the delicious taste. Loz watched them and followed their lead, taking a spoonful of the pink one. The three did not hesitate to bite into the treat and it encouraged him further. Taking the whole spoonful into his mouth, and letting the etensil slide back out empty, he noticed first how cold the food was. Then the second thing he noticed, was how it melted so quickly. And lastly...how sweet and delicious this morsel was! The sugar and frozen bits of strawberries were an explosion of sweetness that rushed through his whole body once he swallowed it.

"That...is so good!" he exclaimed happily. Soon all four were digging in, Loz experiencing so many new tastes from each different colored scoop. He tried the one Marlene was fond of, with the gumballs. As he chewed those pieces, he noticed they became stretchy, and rubbery...and there was a different sweet sugar in those. Tifa explained it was gum, a treat one could chew on until the flavor wore out and it should be spit out then. Loz had tried a sample of each and determined he loved the one Tifa recommended, the peach flavored. As the sun finished setting on the far horizon and the day succumbed to darkness, they decided it would be a good time to get home. The bar would need cleaning up, the kids needed to get their homework done, and Loz had to prepare for his first night as a bus boy. The sugar was giving him a rush of hyperness and nothing was bothering him. Not even the estranged looks he received when the four walked home down the street. With his brothers gone, and apparently not returning, he thought of them as his surrogate family...and they treated him better than his brothers ever did.

* * *

Entering the bar was becoming more and more familiar with Loz. The scent of the wood polish and faint traces of the liquor filled the room. The sight of the homely style, with pictures all over the wall, the bar with its many different colored bottles of liquor, the tables with chairs surrounding them...it was beginning to feel more like home. The children raced upstairs to their rooms while Tifa locked the door. The two had to get the bar ready and a stressed look was plastered on Tifa's face. The time they all spent together resulted in chores falling behind schedule.

"Uh...the kids got stuff they need done? Or...are they okay?"

"They need their homework done, and we're behind schedule getting this place ready for customers," she fretted. Loz nodded with his small brows furrowed. Holding his arms out, he shrugged.

"So...we just swept and mopped earlier...what else needs done?"

"The tables need wiped down, the dishes finished in the kitchen and I need to bring up the bottles of liquor we're low on," she explained. The first two things Loz knew how to do, but he wasn't sure about the whole liquor thing. He presumed if say, the blue bottle saying Heaven's Honey was half way full, another bottle of the same kind should be brought up...but Tifa never showed him the storage area for him to know what he was doing. Maybe he could leave that to her...

"I could do the other things...and later, just tell me where the storage is and I can do that," he offered. Being so helpful brought a smile to her face and she looked relieved. Digging into her pocket, she gave him a key.

"If something is halfway empty, just bring another bottle up...just match the names is all. That ok?" she asked. Loz nodded, knowing he would have to act quick. The cleaning chores first, since he knew those better and could employ his speed into the mix. He plucked the key from her hand and gave a single nod. Tifa then bound upstairs to the children to help them with the homework she mentioned. Shoving the single key into his pocket, he ran into the kitchen and began to fill a bucket with hot, soapy water and chose a clean towel after searching all the drawers. Taking the bucket and rag, he walked out and began at the furthest table, soaking the rag in the bubbly water and washing the tables down. It was a menial chore, but he felt he should earn his stay. And besides...it made her happy. It made Mother happy too.

* * *

As Tifa entered the doorway, Marlene and Denzel were already pulling their folders of homework from their bookbags. Denzel was two grades higher than Marlene, and Tifa normally didn't have to worry about him. Marlene was beginning to learn her multiplication and division tables and sometimes needed help. When Marlene laid out her homework, Tifa was happy to see she only had a sheet of twenty math problems to do.

"I got stuck on these ones," she said and pointed to the division table dealing with 9's. Tifa chuckled and sat down with her as Denzel sat on the other side with his own work. His required him to read a book and make a summary and he swore it was all he had to do. As Marlene started getting the hang of it with the way Tifa showed her how to do it, she would check with Denzel's report and correct some errors. The three enjoyed the time spent together and she prided in their education. Marlene stopped when she came to the problem of 9 times 8...her brown eyes stared at the paper before she looked to Tifa curiously.

"Is Loz going to be our uncle?" she asked out of the blue. "Because Barret is my daddy. And you're like my mommy..."

Tifa stared at her with puzzlement before slowly offering a smile. In the few short days they been together, he was beginning to carve his own notch in this home. Denzel looked to her too, and offered a little smile.

"He makes funny faces too, Tifa," he said softly. Marlene smiled and nodded. That childish sparkle in her eyes always captured Tifa.

"Does he...deserve forgiveness?" Marlene asked. Tifa placed a slender finger on her chin and looked to the ceiling thoughtfully. It was her way of playing with the children when they asked such questions, she would make this gesture without a word until they laughed and she joined in. Seconds into the gesture as always they began to laugh and she broke from her stern look and laughed too. once they calmed down Tifa nodded.

"I think...he does. He is trying to change himself...he deserves the second chance he's gotten," she told them. Marlene and Denzel looked to one another and nodded some. it was shameful what Loz did to them before, but they were too young to know what grudges were or to hold one. For them, that was all in the past and now they were receiving a chance to know the man, they were losing the fear they once had. Even going as far as asking if he would be their uncle now...it was cute.

"Let's get the homework finished? I'll get a quick dinner ready for us, then it's off to bed."

When Tifa came downstairs, she saw the tables were still drying, and all the dishes were washed and sparkling in the dry rack. She inspected them to find not one had any residue of food left behind. The man was a hard worker, she would give him that. As she wandered into the bar area, she could not find one sign of Loz. The kitchen had been empty and he was not out here either. The sound of glass rattling caught her ear and she rushed to the cellar door. It was lying open and the faint light down the stairs had cast a shadow on the wall. The heavy foot steps of a man laden with a heavy burden came and she stepped out of the way. Loz emerged with two cases of a beer she was out of. As Tifa looked on the bar, she noticed a paper and pen and crossed to see it. _He wrote down everything we were running low on up here..._The cases rattled violently for a moment as he sat them down by the refrigerator below the bar and began to fill it with the glass bottles.

"That's my list...it got so irritating making trips back and forth up those stairs...so I ended up just writing down anything you were out of...or bottles that were half empty...and tried bringing them up in less trips," he explained. " I brought up some of the...what is it...Gerald's Gin, Johnny Man's Whiskey and ...er, something else. It's on there..."

Tifa was astounded. The man had the mind of a child, but he was still smart enough to figure out how to do things easier. X's were scribbled over the words he wrote down to indicate he done that. The cardboard boxes that once held the beer he put away were folded up and tossed onto a stack she kept. Soon she'd have to bundle those and take them to get recycled...a new thing the city was trying to save waste.

"I'm going to make some macaroni and cheese...I'm sure you'll like it," she said confidentially. After standing back up, he gave a nod. Loz glanced at the clock as it struck six forty-five.

"What time do we open?" he asked.

"Well...weekdays, I am normally open sooner than this...but there are special circumstances. With you getting the hang of things...I should return to normal hours. Weekdays, we open at 4 p.m., and close at 4 a.m. Saturdays, we open at 5 p.m., and close at 5 a.m. Sundays, we are closed. Can't always work seven days a week. You'll have no rest," she explained. Loz noted this down. The two stared at one another before Loz looked down suddenly, not wanting to look any longer...he got an odd feeling when he looked at her like that.

"I'll go get the lights downstairs..." he muttered and rushed down into the cellar. The sudden change of mood puzzled Tifa, but she thought nothing of it and went to get dinner ready.

The children came down fifteen minutes later, just when Tifa was rinsing the now cooked pasta in the sink. The steam dissipated as it cooled, until Tifa was sure the leftover starch was washed from the shell shaped noodles. It got thrown back in the pot it had been boiled in and Tifa was cutting open a silver package. The kids had sat at the table, chatting animatedly about something. Loz walked in after they had, having washed up and spent some more time reading his book. Tifa squeezed some orange gel-like stuff into the pot and began stirring it until it melted with the noodles.

"I am going to have to get you an apron, Loz. You'll need it for when you clean up," she told him. As he settled in a seat, he nodded some and said nothing more. The book he had been reading about the demon and the girl had turned into something more...confusing for him but it gave him an odd sensation in his pants he didn't know how to describe. It was scaring him since he hadn't a clue what he ought to do about it and figured he could solve the problem later. Fingers drummed on the table as he waited for Tifa to serve food and let his thoughts drift to other places...  
He was now thinking of something else that scared him. That voice he heard in the shower. That voice he knew so well, and deep down, feared it so. The talk he and Tifa had earlier came to mind and it only seemed to imply that it could happen. After repeatedly whispering to himself for the voice to stop, it had and he remembered standing in the shower crying. Was it a forecasting event that what happened to Kadaj will eventually happen to him? Loz remembered stumbling with Yazoo to the fight where Cloud was with Sephiroth. They gazed upon the ultimate creation that they believed their Mother favored. The long, silvery hair, that ridiculously long katana, and that sultry, smooth voice...that was so icy and cruel at the same time. He didn't want to become that anymore...he liked this simple life stuff.

"Here, Loz," Tifa said gently. Attention was snapped to the bowl in front of him filled with soft, shell like noodles smothered with a thick cheese. Taking a spoon and staring at the food, he remembered all the different tastes he had experienced in the last few days...and wondered what new wonder he would be tasting now. A spoonful of the macaroni and cheese was placed in his mouth. It was not sweet like the ice cream, or full of herb and spices like the spaghetti...the cheese sauce was thick, and full of flavor. The noodles were soft, yet firm to where they were not mushy. Chewing the food, he swallowed it slowly and tried to analyze what he just ate. He did not like it as much as the ice cream, or the spaghetti but it was still considered good. Good enough that he began to devour the bowl without hesitation after the first bite. Tifa set out glasses of the blue kool-aid, knowing how much Loz adored the stuff. The thoughts of Sephiroth, his brothers and his probable fate were put behind him as he focused on the food he was enjoying.

Dinner was quick, due mostly to the bar needing to open. The children took the leftover food they had and went upstairs. Tifa said they could watch the television for one hour and then they needed to go to bed. Both gave a mischievous grin to one another before Tifa said tersely she would check on them in exactly one hour, and if they weren't in bed by that time, they were in big trouble. The smiles disappeared as they rolled their eyes and continued upstairs. Tifa had gone to the closet and took out a thick, black apron. It was made of rubber, and mostly to protect the wearer from spills and messes when collecting the dirty dishes. Tifa walked to Loz and slipped it over his head and tied it in the back.

"It's to keep your clothes neat...and from getting stuff on you," she said. "All you need to do to wash it, is fill the sink with hot, soapy water and soak it for a few minutes."

Loz gave a nod and sighed. It would be his first time conversing with anyone else but Tifa and the children. The citizens here already had a deep running prejudice for him and he was aware of it. Would he be prepared for an onslaught of verbal attacks from them and how can he defend himself without upsetting Tifa?


	7. Bar Room Brawls

A little short for my tastes...as normally I give larger chapters for this story. However! I knew it was due for an update! I been offline a while but I finally have internet again! I will be able to finally update even more! Woot! So hopefully I kept you all interested enough to read more, and review. Thanks for all the reviews! As for the rated M, and such...well, I like to build when I write M rated stories like this. Lemons will come, but I need background story for such things. I like to gradually build to that. Thanks again for the reviews and hope you enjoy the latest chapter!

* * *

Chapter 7  
Bar Room Brawls

The bar was alive with chatter, laughter and music. The noise filled the room, and reverberated in his head. Men and women were here, sitting together drinking amber colored liquid. Some shouts occurred that promised a brawl but Tifa quickly would break it up and send the customer out to cool their heads. Some orders of food went out too, mostly snack-like items. Nachos with cheese and salsa, peanuts, hot wings and other bite sized foods. It was lively, and cheerful for the most part. As Tifa cleaned glasses and took orders, Loz circled around the room silently picking up dirty dishes and setting them in a large, black tub. Some eyed him suspiciously, before turning to their friends or partners. It made the silver haired man grit his teeth in frustration. He truly was trying to be good this time like Mother wanted. Another load of dishes were taken to the back and emptied into the sink carefully. He began to fill the sink up with new water and soap. The steam hovered over the surface of the hot water and suds as he Loz lowered and gently dropped each dish and glass in. Once the tub was empty, he grabbed the tub and peeked out. Another group was leaving and left behind an array of plates and glasses. Sighing, he walked back out and began collecting the dishes.

Reno decided to bring the rest of the Turks to Tifa's bar. After the incident with the remnants and Sephiroth, Tifa welcomed them in her bar. They might have worked for someone she truly hated, but they at least had good hearts. Reno walked in and sat down at a vacant table with Rude, Tseng and Elena. It took a lot of convincing, but he got the ever-so-strict Tseng to finally join them in a gathering to go out drinking. Elena sat with Tseng, while Rude sat by Reno. Tifa was working the bar still, and noted her new customers. Rude watched as she approached. He straightened his suit jacket and suddenly was so self conscious about his appearance. Reno was sniggering at him.

"C'mon, man...why don't I just ask if she will just spend a day with ya? Hey, Tifa!" Reno called. Tifa gave the redhead a stern look as she approached with a towel slung over her shoulder from drying the glasses. Rude's cheeks blazed red at Reno's suggestion and began to grab at him before he could even say anything to Tifa. Elena and Tseng watched them calmly. Tseng didn't much like the childish behavior at the table, while Elena showed a slight hint of amusement at the two Turks.

"Ge-get off me, man!" Reno complained, trying to defend himself from Rude. The woman stood before the two, shifting her weight to one side as she put a hand on her hip. Reno's head laid back over the chair, giving him an upside down view of Tifa who was glaring down at him. Rude's hands were around his neck trying to choke him, while Reno was pushing his foot into rude's chest to try and pry him off. Both paused as they took notice of the woman standing right by them.

"Uhh...a pitcher... of beer will... do," Reno finally choked out and gave Rude a good shove with his foot and broke the stranglehold. Both settled down as Tifa walked away, with Reno rubbing his sore neck. A soft chuckle echoed from his mouth as he lightened up.

Loz was loading the last of the dishes into the large tub when he heard that absurd laughter not far from him. The voice seemed so familiar. He pivoted on his foot with the tub, and stared right into the back of Reno's head. The long, ponytail of red hair, and the outfit he was wearing made Loz remember just who the man was. It was one of the men he fought during the search for Mother. The bald one was the one Yazoo had fought as well. A mischievious smirk played on his lips as he thought of approaching the man and slamming him around. He did insult Mother, and his pitiful fighting methods were amusing. Just as he moved his foot to walk to the man, he felt a slender hand press against his shoulder. Sea-green eyes flicked down to the dark haired woman.

"Don't. Just let it go, Loz. Ok?" she pleaded kindly. A grimace stretched over his face as he nodded and turned with the tub, heading back into the kitchen to wash the dishes. Once Tifa was behind the bar again getting a pitcher ready, he paused to look over his shoulder at the group. Maybe some other time when he caught the jokester off guard. Loz was sure he would make a series of faces once he saw he was still alive.

The numbers thinned as the night dragged on, One by one, men and women left, some cheerful, some quiet and hardly able to walk in a straight line. It was winding down in the homely, cozy bar. As Loz came in and out, he noted how the more people drank, the more they seemed to forget his face and care less for him. It allowed him to see how happy people could be after drinking those odd tasting liquors Tifa gave them. Dirty clothing or crisp business suits didn't matter here, as both kinds laughed and joked. The bar acted like a haven, a place to go and let loose, to not worry about realistic problems in one's life. Like heaven. Loz could now understand maybe the meaning behind the name of the bar.  
The last round of customers were leaving, and only the Turks remained. Stacks of shot glasses and mugs rested on the table as the group left, singing some song horribly out of tune. The Turks were laughing amongst themselves about something as Loz passed by with the tub. He set it on a small, vacant space atop the table and began to pile the dishes in. Reno was chuckling at something Elena was saying when he caught sight of the silver haired man. While his vision was blurry from intoxication, his memory was still able to serve him well. Who could forget those three? And how could Reno forget fighting this short haired one? The brute strength and speed he displayed and used against Reno was impressing on the man's memory. The carefree smile he wore faded as he grabbed the Electro-Mag Rod on his side and stood up. Tifa was in the cellar at the time, and was not aware of what was going on just above her.

"Hey you!" Reno shouted. Loz stood still a moment as he set the last mug into the black tub. Being addressed was an invitation to a fight...and nothing else could put such a wide, happy smile on Loz's face. Jerking his head to the side, cracking the vertebrae in his neck, he turned to face the redhead.

"What do ya want, crimson?" Loz taunted. The other three Turks jumped to their feet, preparing to battle. The appearance of Loz made Reno angry, and fearful. What was he doing working in Tifa's bar? The four were about the charge headlong into battle with the remnant, weapons ready and Loz prepared to engage with them. Reno made the first attack, charging into battle with the electrified rod raised. Loz dodged quickly and grabbed the man by the inside of his arm. Seeing the other three running to their friend's aid, he decided to put them all down. Jerking the man in front of him,he kicked him in the stomach so hard, Reno went flying into the three. They all tumbled to the ground atop one another. Their drunken stupor was wearing off as adrenaline flooded their veins. Seeing them just barely getting to their feet, Loz smirked at them and waved them to come back.

"C'mon. Let's play for a while," he asked. The taunt was not taken well by the group of Turks. Tseng took out his gun and aimed at Loz. All rational thought had left his head for the moment, such as overlooking the fact he was working in Tifa's bar, for Tifa. That alone would have been reason enough not to enter battle with the man, but given Reno lead them headlong into this fight, they had to finish it. Gunshots rang through the large bar, the bullets not making their mark. Loz's speed saved him as he dodged about, the bullets ricocheting off the walls. Tseng found his clip empty and an iron clasp on his wrist. His eyes only met the remnant's for a second before he felt the heavy boot sink into his stomach. Tseng flew through the air and against the wall, the air knocked from his lungs.

"Bastard!" came a female voice. The ferocity of this blonde female amazed Loz. He stepped back with each punch and kick she tried to land on him. Finally able to predict her rhythm, he grabs her by the ankle. Spinning on his heel, he gained momentum then released her, sending her headlong into the bar itself. Rude and Reno came at Loz together, Reno from the left and Rude from the right. Electricity crackled on the rod while Rude came at Loz with raised fists. It was a split second decision as the two made their move. Just as they were a hair width's away, Loz jumped high up into the air, pulling his legs in. The swing Reno took with the rod connected with Rude's face. Rude's outstretched arm that was meant to hit Loz in his face, instead got Reno. Thousands of volts charged through Rude as Reno fell to the floor with some teeth loosened in his jaw. The four lay on the ground, moaning in pain. Loz landed perfectly onto the floor and stood to his full height, looking around him at the beaten Turks.

"Hn," he smirked.

"LOZ!" came a voice from behind. The smirk disappeared instantaneously as he realized who just shouted at him. Spinning around, he saw a furious Tifa behind the counter. She must have heard the commotion and came up from the cellar. Slowly he allowed his jaw to drop as he realized how much trouble he was in. She had told him earlier not to fight with them, and he went ahead and did it anyway. The four were picking themselves from the ground as Tifa came marching around the bar to Loz.

"What in the world! What happened?" she demanded.

"Well, uh...that redheaded one called out to me. And he had that electric stick rod thing...and the lot of them charged after me," he explained quickly. Loz neglected to mention he did nothing to disengage the oncoming battle, as he was eager to flex his muscles. Tifa then turned her sights to the struggling Reno on the ground. He was barely getting to his feet and wiping the blood from his mouth.

"Reno! Why did you attack Loz?"

"Loz?...So that's that blockhead's name? What the hell is he even doin' here, Tifa? Ain't he supposed to be dead or somethin'?" Reno pressed. The other three were standing slowly, Rude having more trouble than Tseng and Elena. The four came together in front of Tifa who stared at their angry faces. It was true there was a lot to explain. The worst part was they worked for Shinra. What if they went back to Rufus and announced to him that one of the remnants still lived? Loz was standing behind Tifa now, towering over her and glaring at the four.

"It's a long story..." she admitted. "Perhaps a story best told when you guys get some rest."

Reno's jaw dropped this time as he stepped forward. Did she really expect them to leave calmly after seeing the dead and fighting it? Pointing at Loz uselessly, and his lips moving to try and form words, he could only glance at her, Loz, then the other Turks before throwing his hands in the air due to frustration.

"Nah! No! You gotta tell us what's going on! He's supposed to be dead!"

"Reno..."

"No! We're here now. Tell us now!" he demanded. Tifa stared at him for a long while, contemplating if this was the best thing to do. Would they even understand? Tseng gave a sage nod and Tifa sighed. She started with the fall that created the crater in the street outside a few days ago. It had been Loz, and while he might have tried hurting her when he first fell to them, after she took care of him, he calmed down. Loz had told her Mother had spoken to him and told him to live a life of his own. Since then, she had been trying to get ihm to adapt to a peaceful life and introduce him to many new things. The Turks just stared at her in disbelief.

"I wonder if that means anyone can be sent back to us by the Lifestream, at any time," Elena murmured aloud. Loz was standing there just listening to them talk about him like he was some sort of miracle. Maybe it was true because as the blonde had said, not everyone is returned from the Lifestream. Mother returned him and he wondered why just him. What was so special about him compared to Kadaj who was much smarter, and Yazoo who was more collected and calm?

"You guys cannot tell Rufus no matter WHAT...you know what Rufus would want to do to Loz...and Cloud doesn't even know. Yet..." Tifa trailed off. Reno blinked and shook his head, pacing the room a bit.

"You gotta tell Cloud. He's goin' to find out anyway...Ain't he supposed to be coming back soon? How you goin' to explain this when he walks through that door?" he asked frantically.

"I don't know..." Tifa muttered, looking down at the wooden floor. Tseng was sensing the diminishing energy. They had to get out of here and rest up for tomorrow. Tseng gathered the Turks and finally convinced Reno to leave the bar. Tifa walked them out and thanked Tseng before locking the bar door. Once the heavy, metal lock slid into place, she put her forehead to the door and released a heavy sigh. Loz approached her cautiously, having a notion she might be angry at him still for picking fights with her customers...despite how detestable he found them. A heavy hand rested on her slender shoulder.

"Um...maybe we should get to bed, and sleep?" he suggested. The girl moved slowly, turning to him. Chocolate eyes gazed up at him with a weary look. She gave a soft nod and yawned some.

"It is a good idea...forget the dishes for tonight and get some rest..."

"Uh, Tifa..." he said as she began to walk away from him to go to bed. She paused and turned to face him, wondering what he would need.

"Yes?"

"Um...sorry...for you know...getting in a fight with them. I didn't know they were your friends," he said, scratching the back of his neck nervously, his eyes glued to the floor. A gentle smile moved Tifa's lips as she forgave him.

"Go hang up the apron and get to bed. You need energy for tomorrow night," she informed him and headed upstairs. Loz did just that. He hung the black apron on a peg of the broom closet door and headed upstairs after turning all the lights out. Loz tried to be quiet going up the stairs so he did not wake the children. He knew how late it was and that they should stay asleep. As he opened the door to his small room that Tifa gave him, he flipped a light on and was met with horror. It felt like his heart had leapt from his chest and lodged itself in his throat. There on his bed, sat a man remarkably similar to him in every aspect...except his eyes held pure evil. Long, silver strands of hair flowed off the sides of the bed and brushed across the rug the bed sat on.

"Why didn't you kill him?" the man asked. Loz was shaking as he couldn't answer. Could this be happening? _This is a hallucination. This can't be real! HE can't be real! We were a part of him, that's true...but...he needs Jenova genes to come back, doesn't he? And I am the only one alive! How did...? Shit..._The man named Sephiroth stood from the bed to approach Loz. Loz could do nothing as he walked towards him, paralyzed with fear. Was this what Mother intended?


	8. Leisure After Chores

Another new chapter! I am glad to be saying the updates are coming more frequent. I am getting my natural flow for writing back! I know the updates are only about once every two weeks, but I got other ones I work on. I have a rotation in short. But don't worry! This story and the other three will never be abandoned. Please, review and let me know everything you think of how the story's going! I am going to bring Cloud in soon...don't worry. In about the next four chapters. Thanks everyone!

* * *

Chapter 8  
Leisure after Chores

The feeling of impending doom possessed Loz's body. Mako eyes pressed close to tightly that it made them hurt. When he decided to finally open them, when he was sure he felt that man's presence standing right in front of him, there was no one there in the room. The entity known as Sephiroth was gone. Loz spun around to search for the intruder. No where in the room was there any sign the man was still present. As Loz looked around he also noted that Sephiroth couldn't have possibly gotten in. The window was shut and locked from the inside, the only way in here was the front door which they locked after all customers had left...and if Sephiroth had decided to walk in during any point the bar was open, surely they or someone else would have noticed. It was a dismal thought for Loz to think he was going insane. The tall man sat down on the edge of the bed and grasped the sides of his head, staring at the floor, trying to get a grip on himself. It was late, and he had been in a brief fight. Maybe it was just fatigue working on him, making him imagine these things. The voices too...and after a good night's sleep, maybe all of this would go away.  


* * *

The morning was cloudy and damp. The children were seen off onto the bus for school, waving cheerfully back at Tifa. As the bus rumbled away, the girl went back into the bar and locked up. There was cleaning to do before they opened the place tonight. It had been forgotten last night after the brief fight with the Turks. That reminded her too. While she felt she could trust Reno and the other three, it wasn't enough to dismiss the fact they worked for Rufus Shinra. If the man got a small whiff of what was happening, she was sure he'd dispatch the Turks to investigate. Already too many people knew. The public saw him in that crater, and saw her take him in. It had only been two days, but surely the citizens would not put up with it too long. Barret knew too and he was opposed to the decision she made. Tifa feared he might seek Cloud out and inform him of just who was living under 7th Heaven's roof...and with the Turks knowing, deep down she knew somewhere this would come to a head. Would she be the only one standing to defend Loz against the onslaught of the others disapproval?

Loz was rock still in his bed as he slept. The sheets were draped over the lower half of his body as he lay sprawled on the comfy bed, face first in the pillow. It was warm, comfortable and he was too tired to want to get up. His eyes started to flutter as he woke, but he remained there in bed. He snoozed on and off, making a very slow progress to getting up. He heard the door opening while he napped, but chose to ignore it. It could only be Tifa and while he normally would be good about speaking with her, his body protested and lured him to stay comfy in bed.

"Loz?" she said gently, coming to the bedside. Tifa knelt by the side to look at what was exposed of his face that was planted in the white pillow. A lazy eye drifted open to view her before shutting again. Eyebrows drew together as he gave a soft, irritated moan.

"Five more minutes..." he pleaded in a murmur. The plea made Tifa smile. Every day she was finding things out about him that made him seem so much more human than when she and the others had to go against him.

"Five more minutes then. Then you have to come help me clean up downstairs from last night, ok?"

A faint nod into the pillows confirmed he heard her. Tifa stood and left the room, heading downstairs to the kitchen. Dishes still rested in a tub of cold, soapy water from last night. The plug was pulled out so the old water would drain. She would need hot water and more soap to scrub the dishes clean. Normally, cleaning the bar was done right after closing. It would have been done if Loz hadn't gotten involved in a fight. Luckily, there wasn't much to do today. Loz had gotten new clothing, been taught how to be a bus boy and given sanctuary at her bar. For the most part, getting him to meld into the routine of her and the children's life hadn't been too hard. The hardest part was getting the public to forgive him. As she plugged the sink up and began to fill it with hot water, she began to squeeze liquid soap out. The running water helped make it sud up thickly and degrease all the dishes. The bottle was set aside as she stared into the foamy mess and hoped she made the right decision dragging that broken remnant in.  
Thinking of the man reminded her he needed to get up. The clock read five minutes past by now. once the sink was full, Tifa shut the water off and went upstairs to retrieve Loz. As she walked into his room slowly, she noticed he was still lying in bed. Rather than be angry, she still could not stop from thinking of how much of a child he could be. Denzel often acted like this in the mornings too, refusing to get up.

"Ok Loz. It's been five minutes. Time to get up," she said as she approached the bed. She sat down on the edge and reached out to his shoulder, giving him a gentle shake. The hulk of a man groaned and lazily opened his eye to view her. It hadn't seemed in that short of time, that five minutes flew by.

"Five more?" he mumbled while looking at her with one eye.

"No, now come on. You need to help me with cleaning up...we were supposed to do it last night," she informed him, a little more stern. Loz stared at her lovely face for a long while before he muttered and began to sit up. The covers were gathered around his waist to hide indecency in front of the woman, while trying to get orientated with his surroundings. It was early, earlier than he normally got up for anything. Tifa was energetic and spunky, even this early in the day.

"Ok, ok...I got to get dressed though..." he requested. Tifa pushed off the bed and walked out to allow him the privacy. Loz waited until she was gone before he collapsed back onto the bed and enjoyed the warmth of where he slept. Eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. He wondered what Tifa had planned for today after they cleaned the bar up. Would they be able to go out and play again? He had enjoyed that immensely the other day.  
The drowsiness began to wear off as he slid out of bed. The sheet fell to the floor, forgotten, as he began to dress in his leather outfit. He wondered if he should shower first...if he was indeed going to be helping Tifa with the bar. It took him a few moments of deliberation before he figured it would be useless and made his way downstairs. The floorboards echoed softly as he made it to the landing and turned into the kitchen. Tifa was already powering away at the dishes in the sink, scrubbing them clean of any residue. Loz approached her, wondering what he should do if she was doing the dishes.

"Tifa..." he called. The dark haired woman turned to face him a moment before stopping. Hands quickly dried themselves of the soapy water on a rag hanging above the sink. Tifa smiled and gave him one of the tubs he been using to collect dishes from last night. With it, she handed him a spray bottle and cloth.

"Place any left over dishes or trash in the tub. After you done that, spray each table down with this stuff and wipe it down with the cloth to polish it. Ok?" she instructed. The task seemed simple enough that Loz nodded and took the tub from her. It was a dreary day, but enough sunlight radiated through to give the bar an odd, grayish illumination. It was quiet mostly, save for a few clanking of dishes in the kitchen. Loz smiled faintly to himself as he set the tub on a chair and began to sweep off crumbs and trash into it. Spraying a few spurts of the cleaner onto the table, he began to polish it with the rag and watch the table take on a clean, gleaming shine.  
He and his brothers never had the chance to experience such simplistic things in life...such as the satisfactory Loz felt when he stared at the clean, polished table which had been grimy beforehand. It was a feeling Loz couldn't explain. A sense of accomplishment, or content, was the best he could do to describe it to himself. Soon, he was off to each table, vigorously cleaning them to make them just as nice as the last. _This isn't so bad...not really. I kind of like this life I fell into, _he told himself. He had Tifa to thank for everything...if she hadn't been there, he didn't know what he would have done with the second chance he been granted.

"How's it coming?"

Loz jumped at Tifa's voice. His head had been so filled with his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed she drifted into the main bar from the kitchen. The last table had been cleared off and polished so it reflected the little light that filtered into the place. Tifa ran a single finger over the top and smiled when she saw nothing rested upon it.

"Um...I think I did good," he said.

"Actually, it's great. Not one speck of dust or food," she complimented. It was nice to feel appreciated, and Loz rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I need you do something else...can you sweep and mop the floors? I need to go down to the cellar and restock up here."

Loz nodded and took the tub of trash with him. He wore a small smile as he entered the kitchen and emptied the large tub into the trash can. The tub was set against the wall while he searched the closet for the broom and dust pan. Upon finding the two, he grabbed them and went back into the bar. The broom was taken in hand as he started to sweep the floor, gathering all the dirt and crumbs. It was oddly pleasing and relaxing to sweep the place up. Loz couldn't exactly figure out why he liked this so much. It was short work to sweep the floors and dispose of the gathered dirt. Tifa had mentioned he should mop too. It took him a few moments to realize what the chore was, before he remembered what Tifa was doing the other day. Returning the broom and pan to the closet, he searched for the pole that had the mess of strings attached to the end. After locating it, he pulled it out and set it aside. Now he needed the red bucket Tifa had with the soapy water. It was set against the wall behind a ladder, and he took it out. With both the bucket and mop, he went to the sink. There were all kinds of cleaning supplies under the sink. Wood polish, window polish, bleach, wood oil, dish washing soap, detergents...he had to read each one to try and determine which one was the best choice. The orange liquid in a twist cap bottle was the last one to be read.

"Pour this into the bucket and run hot water...2 ounces...for every...gallon. Uh..." he stared at the stuff and the bucket. He didn't know much about measuring but he was confident enough he could estimate what was too little or too much. The top was laid on the counter. The bucket was placed in the sink as he began to pour out the thick, orange tinted kept pouring out until he felt there was enough. Half the bottle had been emptied into the bucket by time he stopped. Hot water sprayed into the bucket as he waited for it to fill. Thick, sudsy soap began to billow up with a fresh, citrus scent. The water was shut off when the suds had reached the brim and he deemed it full enough. Carefully, the full bucket was lifted from the sink and carried out to the front of the bar, along with the mop.

"Ok..." he muttered. He sunk the mop into the bucket of soapy water and brought it back out. It slapped the floor with a loud splash, as Loz began to move it about and mop up the area. He got the idea of it quickly and was on his way to covering every a spot.  
He was only halfway done when his stomach rumbled. There had been no breakfast when he woke. The two of them threw themselves into straightening the bar up for tonight. He stood up a bit and groaned. Sweeping the place had not seem so hard to do in the beginning. With half the room left to mop, it now was beginning to feel like too much. He leaned on the mop as he watched Tifa emerge from the cellar with a crate of beer. It was set on the bar and cracked open so she could stock the refrigerator.

"Can we eat soon?" he asked politely. Tifa stared at him with a kind smile and nodded.

"After you're done with the mopping, we can both sit down and eat. Ok?" she told him. It livened Loz up as he stood and began to mop quickly. From the scent of the mop water, Tifa had guessed he poured far too much. It was written off as trivial; the stuff was cheap plus, Loz was trying his hardest. That alone gave him lee-way for small mistakes.

A full course breakfast was laid out for Loz. Toast with jam, slices of fried ham, scrambled eggs, strips of bacon, links of sausage, pancakes with drizzling syrup and butter and diced fruit. A bright, orange liquid was poured into a tall glass for him and set down by the plate overflowing with food. Loz was familiar with some of these portions...some he did not recognize. The stack of flat, rubbery looking slices covered in a thick, brown liquid had him puzzled. A fork poked curiously at it, trying to determine if he wanted to eat it or not.

"What are these?" he asked, eyes turning to the approaching woman.

"Those are pancakes. They're sweet. Very spongy...filling," she described. Loz pulled the small plate over that had a stack of four on them. A fork forced its side into the pancakes and cut a small bit away. The fork stabbed the four stacked pieces together and raised to his lips. Nothing she given him yet had tasted bad. In fact, everything had been delicious. Taking the bite quickly, he chewed on it. It was indeed spongy, a little dry if there hadn't been syrup on it. The immediate thought after the texture was how sweet it was! Perhaps not as sweet as the ice cream he had, or the sugary drink...but it was up there. The food was swallowed and soon he started on the pancakes, intrigued by the new taste. Tifa sat next to him as he ate, never getting tired of seeing how his mind worked like a curious child's. She turned to her own plate of food and began to eat along with him, savoring the taste and smiling.

"They are excellent. I like them," he said.

"There are more once you're done with the rest," she suggested. Loz smiled to her and began to eat more. Tifa wondered what they should do for the day. The bar was swept and mopped, the shelves restocked, the tables cleaned and all the dishes were done. The whole day belonged to them,

"How are the books you're reading?" she asked. The fork paused as the one holding it pondered the posed question.

"Well...I like them. They're interesting," he admitted. That answer was what Tifa needed to decide what the two of them would do today. The meager library the city was able to put together was down the street about five blocks. It was made from all the donated books from survivors. Many writers had sprung up since the incident with Sephiroth, giving their first hand accounts and even seeking inspiration from the calamity to publish fictional novels.

"Well, after you're done eating, go shower and dress. I am going to show you the town library," she revealed. The library had been mentioned briefly before to Loz, and now that they were really going to go see this building housing a wide selection of books, of knowledge, Loz's eyes lit up with excitement.

* * *

The normal, late morning crowd were bustling their ways through the streets. Stores were open with fresh produce out in the front or clearance sales for clothing. The sun was beginning to break through strongly and dapple the sad, gray city. The pair walked among the crowds who generously parted their ways to allow them through, disgruntled at the sight of the silver haired one. The disgust the citizens had was felt deep by the two of them. While it made Loz self-conscious and angry, it only served to irritate Tifa. The past few days he had been working hard and changing dramatically from what she encountered the first time. If anyone would give him a chance like she did, like Aerith did, they would see a different person.  
The two entered a tall, cement building on a corner. The inside was filled with shelves and in the back, a staircase to the upper level with more books.

"Now you can't buy and keep them, Loz. What you do...you get a library card. You can rent the books, but after you are done reading them, you return them," she explained as they walked along a shelf laden with thick volumes. A leather clad digit fingered over the long shelf of volumes, eyes quickly scanning the titles. It was too early to try and ask the city to accept the man...surely everyone knew their faces, the reason why they received such hostile glares from everyone. Loz had plucked a thick, green bound book from the shelf and was holding it, staring down at the title.

"I can take it out on my card," she told him. A faint smile graced his lips as he handed her the book. A feeling hit Tifa that told her she would be following him around this whole building while he picked books from the shelves. The curiosity he possessed was insatiable; he wanted to know everything he didn't get a chance to learn about. The pair made their way through the endless maze of tall shelves filled with all different colors and sizes of books. Once in a while one would catch his attention and he would stop abruptly to pull it out and begin skimming a few pages before adding it to the growing stack in Tifa's hands.

"They only allow you to check out about ten at a time here," she warned him. Loz turned and looked at the books, counting them by pointing them out slowly.

"...I have seven...three more? Please?" he asked. Tifa relented and nodded with her kind smile, allowing him to venture upstairs and pick a few from there. They walked down the stairs carefully, as Tifa had a towering stack of books in her hands by now. Loz had to have picked out the ten most thickest volumes available in the whole library. There hadn't been a chance to see the titles of these books he selected. They winded their way to the front desk where Tifa set the books down with a huff. She dug into a pocket and brought out a library card, handing it to the elderly woman behind the desk. The lady adjusted her thick glasses and stared at the card then Tifa.

"Ok...let me stamp the books," said her creaky voice. Each book was gently dropped in front of her and its hard cover flipped open to reveal old, yellowed pages. A heavy, metal box was placed over a series of lines and as she pressed down, black numbers rested on the card.

"What is that?" Loz asked.

"It's the date the book is due back. You have to read the book by then, or re-check it out," she explained. An understanding, silent nod was given. The elderly lady took out a plastic bag and placed the books in them for the two to carry. Each took a bag and left the library, emerging into the early afternoon hustle and bustle. By now the sun had finally won its struggle to break through the dense and gray clouds to shed radiant light upon the city and its inhabitants. It was renewing to the senses to feel the sunlight after such a long week hidden from it.

"Let's head back...you can start on your books...and maybe later we could play again," she suggested. It had been exhilarating to battle him once more after their first encounter. The glorious energy that shone through his eyes when she mentioned it sent shivers down her spine, as it did the first time. It made her smile at him, amidst the jitters she felt rocking through her.


	9. The Honest Life

YIKES! It has been SO long since I updated this story. I got it in me to put out another chapter for this though. I been trying to get some inspiration for this fic and got just enough for another chapter! I been trying to finish my Resident Evil one...so it can be out of my way. Losing inspiration for that one too. x.x But I am trying! Please, enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think!

* * *

Chapter 9  
The Honest Life

The afternoon slipped away unnoticed through the clouds. Loz was sitting at one of the heavy, wooden tables with a glass of iced tea, skimming through the books he had chosen from the library. Nothing got his attention as he drank in each word every line in the books provided. Some even came with pictures which he stared at, absorbing the scene and letting it sink into his memories to be recalled on later. There were words though, he could not understand or pronounce. Tifa saw the frustration in Loz's eyes as he tried to understand everything he was reading. The dark haired woman stepped upstairs to her own small book collection and pulled a thick volume from the shelf. Returning, the heavy book was placed on the table next to the other pile. The remnant looked up to her for an explanation. A chair was pulled over and she sat down with him, opening the book.

" I gather you know...the alphabet, right?"

"Well, yeah...A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I-"

"Ok then, well this is what we call a dictionary. It has many words in it, and explains their meanings...what one don't you understand?"

Loz pointed out a word he had not understood very well to her. Tifa looked at it and pronounced it for him.

"That is ludicrous. So it starts with an L. So, you use this book...everything is in alphabetical order...we flip to L...then the next letter is U. So it may be towards the end of all the words with L, since U is close to the end of the alphabet...ah, here. So this explains it. It ia an adjective...so it means to describe something. Ludicrous itself means, causing laughter because of absurdity...provoking or deserving derision...ridiculous, laughable. See? Some words...have many other ways of describing how someone acts, feels or looks. And there are varying degrees of meaning...so...you can say something is pretty. If you think it is worth more than that, it can be beautiful. More complimentary would be exquisite," she explained patiently, letting it all sink in and be understood. Loz nodded some, and stared at the dictionary. Hungry eyes were upon it like a starved dog. That book she showed held all the words of language and explained all their meanings. He saw it as a key to understanding a lot of the books he had.

"Thank you, Tifa..." he said, a sudden grin spreading across his lips. "Can I...borrow that?" he asked, wanting to use it whenever he had trouble with a word. Tifa nodded and let him do his own form of studying. The glass he had was empty...she took it to get him a refill so he could enjoy his evening before they opened. It was important for him to read and learn, to understand the world past and beyond his brothers, Sephiroth, Mother and Cloud. There was so much to explore, to learn and experience.

The hours ticked by quicker than Loz realized it. The dictionary helped him with a few choice words and understand everything he was reading. A small pile of books were to his left and had been finished. The sun had managed to peek out from the clouds and was setting on the horizon. The books had arrested Loz' attention for so long, it slipped by him that it was time to eat dinner. All the wonderful smells from the kitchen had been ignored.

"Loz!" Tifa called out. It broke him away from the books finally and he looked up, and sniffing the air, realized how much time gone by. It was dinner time already and after that, they had to open the bar. Loz ventured into the kitchen and saw Tifa getting plates out to put the food on. He was curious what she had cooked up. Seeing slabs of meat on the plate in sauce, and some vegetables, he wondered how good it would be. It certainly smelt good.

" Denzel! Marlene! Dinner's done!" she said loudly. Soon enough, small footsteps were thumping down the stairs at the call. Their joyful faces ran to the table got onto the chairs. Loz had to wonder...was this how all families normally were? He crossed the room and sat down at the table with the children, offering a small smile to them. Plates bearing steaming helpings of food were set before them. When Tifa joined them, the kids began to eat and Loz watched. He turned to the food and cut a piece of the meat with his fork and knife. He put the slice on his tongue and began to chew. The sauce was thick, like a gravy. Salt. A kind of broth. A hint of pepper too. And flour. He seemed to like it and smiled, beginning to dig into the pile of food. The kids were chattering about something, while Tifa seemed to gaze fondly at them.

"Tifa...I was wondering..." he said softly, slowing his eating as he mind began to drift on the idea. The fork was set on the edge of the plate, as worried eyes focused on her. " What will Cloud say...?"

Tifa stared at him a moment or two before turning to her plate of food in contemplation. It was all Loz needed to understand that Cloud may not be happy about his presence here, much less around the ones closest to him. It caused anxiety to bubble up. Maybe if he worked hard...

"Do not worry about Cloud...you have been very willing to change, and be a good person. For me, it is enough. And it will be for him too," she said in the most reassuring voice she possessed. Some carrots and peas were pushed about by the fork while Loz listened to her words. He was hoping she was right.

The kids were put to bed, and given kisses by Tifa. Loz stood in the doorway and watched. He felt like a spectator on a family he wished to be a part of. The sort of kindness Tifa had shown him was never given by his brothers. Just watching them, he was becoming full of many questions. Were all mothers kind? Was it natural for brothers to pick on you? Was it normal for family to tell you to kidnap or kill other people? Seeing everything Tifa did the past few days fell in contradiction to everything he and his brothers were doing. The sense of peace he had here was...enjoyable.  
Tifa closed the door and the two went downstairs to get ready to open. Loz had taken all his books and put them away in his room. Tifa started on the dishes from dinner while he dressed into the leather apron. He grabbed one of the large black tubs and set it out for use tonight. While she was busy with the dishes, he went tot he bar and made sure she was in stock with what she was needed. The tables had been cleaned, and everything cleaned this morning, so it was not so bad setting up for tonight.

"You ready, Loz?" Tifa asked as she appeared from the kitchen, drying her hands from doing the dishes. Loz gave a nod and went to the door and opened it. He put the stopper down to keep the door open and flipped the sign from "closed" to "open". Loz walked back inside and went into the kitchen. It was just the beginning, and there no dishes to pick up. So until customers came in, he had nothing to do. He went upstairs to grab one book he was reading and the dictionary, and sat in the kitchen to read. Tifa peeked around the corner and smiled a bit. He was certainly a bookworm. Footsteps could be heard and Tifa turned to see a group of guys coming in, laughing and enjoying themselves. They settled at one of the table near the bar. Tifa came to them, wearing a smile.

"What do you guys want?" she asked, taking out a notepad and pen.

The night began to drag on, and more customers came into the bar. Tables filled with local people, from upper class to lower class. There was only one problem and it didn't escape Tifa's notice. The bar was not as full as it normally was on nights like this. There were less people than normal, and she got a feeling why. Was this town that prejudice? These people either didn't care or weren't aware. Loz came out to collect the shotglasses or plates, and went to the back to clean them. Some gave him scathing glares, while some looked upon him curiously. It had been the same last night too, but Loz seemed to be ignoring it for the most part and not acting out his anger. She couldn't imagine how he might be feeling though.

Someone put some music on the small jukebox she had, and played some rock music. Tifa smiled as she served a round of shots to three people sitting at the bar, then grabbed a towel to wipe it down. The clattering of dishes from Loz in the back, the sounds of chatter and music mingled with it, made for a lively place that made her happy. Reno and the Turks didn't show up tonight, which was not normal. The reason why she had already considered. Still...was it fair to toss Loz to the streets, just because the public didn't like him? It would be the same as tossing someone into a tank of hungry sharks. And if Rufus Shinra found out...she didn't trust what he might do about the returned remnant.

As the hours passed, and the numbers dwindled, Tifa made a last call and began to clean up and put up the liquor. Loz collected all the plates and glasses to take to the back, offering a faint smile to Tifa before disappearing into the back. A soft hum came from Tifa as she went to the door and flipped the sign, closed the door and locked it. It was not a busy night, but busy enough to keep her on her toes. She was glad Reno hadn't come, given Loz' temperament and Reno's excessive joking while drinking. Given the last time they visited, she was not looking forward to breaking up another bar brawl.

" Tifa, the dishes are done...want me to come out and clean the tables?" he asked. Tifa took a long look at the man's face. Why was it so hard to believe that at one time, the two of them had fought a hard hitting battle? The same man who had beat her down, taken Marlene, and the materia? Sometimes...first impressions are not always the best.

"No, we will take care of that in the morning...go get some sleep," she said. Loz nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen. Hearing his heavy boots make their way upstairs made her think of one point when they had kicked her. She needed to stop thinking of the fight, of the past. The Lifestream had given him a second chance, and she secured that chance for him. In essence, she was like a guardian to the young man...and so far, he'd been very cooperative. Tifa sat down on a bar stool and wiped the bar down absent mindedly. She couldn't...get him off her mind.

Loz was preparing for bed. The boots had been placed by the door, and his leather outfit was on the chair. All the clothes that they had bought him, he planned on to wear soon. He knew nothing of fashion, or what would compliment him or not, but Tifa had. He smiled and tugged on a pair of boxers to sleep in. He stretches his arms and yawned, feeling wiped. The bed covers wered tugged down and he was about to slip into them and turn the lamp off when he heard a knocking on the door. Given the few odd occurrences lately, he feared who was knocking. He clenched his teeth and approached the door cautiously.

"Come in," he said. To his relief, it had only been Tifa. He offered a slight smile. "Was just getting to bed," he said. Tifa gave that quaint smile of hers and nodded. "I know...go on," she said. Loz perked one of his silver brows but did so. He sat on the bed and slipped under the covers, yawning again and getting comfy. When he did, he found Tifa standing over him. It didn't occur to him why she was in his room, or standing over him like this.

"Good night, Loz,"she said kindly and leaned down, placing a kiss on his forehead. It was a common thing she did with the children, a sign of affection and love she had for them. He blushed as his eyes widened at the expressed token of affection. Fingers gripped the edges of his covers nervously. Was this what it felt like to have someone look after you and care for you? Love you?

" G-Good night, Tifa..." he said, and dared to look back to her when he felt the heat from his cheeks disappear. She gave a soft chuckle and turned the lamp off for him before leaving his room. She looked back before closing his door and letting him be submerged into the darkness. Loz looked to the door's area for a long while before getting comfy in the bed and turning sideways. A soft smile appeared on his lips, as he slipped into dreamland. Someone cared for him. She cared for him. It was his first taste of knowing what it was like to have a genuine, caring individual in his life.

Tifa was preparing for bed when the phone in the other room rang. It was late, and receiving such late calls was unusual. There could only be one person who would call her this late. She strolled into the next room and picked the phone up.

"Hello?"

"Tifa..." a soft voice came from the other line. Blood ran cold when she heard his voice. It should have been happiness, and jubilation to hear him...but the past few days...funny as it was she had hardly thought about him. An unconscious fear that he would ruin the slight understanding they had here was writhing quietly in her heart.

"Cloud," she said, trying to put relieved, kind energy into her voice. Did Barret lie and go run his mouth to Cloud, and tell him who was under her roof?

" How is going?" he asked quietly. Tifa lied and said everything was fine, the children were doing well in school, the bar's business was steady as ever, mostly thanks to Reno and his paycheck, and she was excited to see him if he ever got the chance. A short silence on the other line answered her question as to seeing him.

" ...I won't be able to see you for a little bit. Still getting a few more delivering jobs done. I am hoping to return home in a couple of days. I can't wait to see you all," he said, his voice for the first time seeming to hold some recognition of happiness to it. It softened Tifa's smile into a real, genuine one.

"We can't either...Denzel will surely be excited to know you're coming soon," she said. The children adored Cloud, and it extended to many other children in the city. After the incident with the remnants, Cloud was there in the pool of healing water, helping heal the children. Again he fought to protect calamity from befalling the already broken city.

" I'll see you soon, Tifa..." he said softly, and then a gentle click was heard. Tifa still held the receiver to her ear before lowering it to the holder. She placed her hands on the edge of the desk and surveyed the flurry of pictures tacked to the wall. Her, Her and Cloud, them and the children, and more with Barret, Cid, Yuffie and the others. Chocolate eyes lowered to the delivery orders on the desk before she slowly retreated from the room to her own. Would Cloud believe her excuse? Would he ever come to accept Loz, or would it result in a fight? The one thing she knew was, she could not let Loz go...only with her, the children and possible Cloud would he learn what it meant to lead an honest life.


End file.
